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2014年4月25日-2014年5月8日
行业新闻
盐和糖可能对挤压食品的结构和质量具有协同作用。挤压食品指那些将原料混合以后，用挤压工艺令其成型然后切割成特定大小的食品。根据发表在《食品工程杂志》上的一项新的研究，挤压食品中盐和糖两种成分均有减少的可能性，且减少后不对食品本身的口感和质量带来负面影响。根据研究结果，减少盐含量和糖含量水平具有的协同作用，这就意味着：保持食品的结构和质量的同时，减少挤压食品中的盐和糖这一做法或许是可行的。
资讯来源：Bakeryandsnacks.com 网站
北美最大的食品制造商之一康尼格拉食品公司最近发布了其营养学研究的结果，并在2014年实验生物学大会上主持了“钠、营养和健康”单元。在该单元，康尼格拉食品公司钠摄入研究的专家声称，最新的研究并不支持钠摄入量应当减少至1500毫克的这一推荐水平，甚至是2300毫克推荐水平也是不成立的。在会上，报告者引用了新近发表在《美国高血压杂志》上的一项研究的结果，该研究观测到钠摄入量越接近美国人钠摄入量的平均值，心脏疾病风险越低。“在钠科学不断演进的同时，我们应当记住：心脏健康比钠摄入的范畴要广泛的多。这一点非常重要。” 康尼格拉食品公司营养总监克里斯汀.赖默斯这样说道。
资讯来源： Broadway World网站
政府新闻
一些学校表示，强制改变学校伙食的规定实施起来成本昂贵，非常困难。学校官员正在要求美国国会和美国农业部（USDA）收回一些强制性的要求。虽然全国各地学校的营养主管们普遍认同，学校午餐需要改善使其更加健康，而且学生们也已经轻松地适应了很多伙食方面的变化，但有的营养主管们说，这些新标准实施的步伐太操之过急。各个学校必须要在下个学年降低伙食中的总钠含量；到2017年，还要进一步降低。各学校的午餐主管表示，这个2017年的目标，即每份八年级及以下学生午餐中的钠含量降低到935毫克，每份高中生午餐中的钠含量降低到1080毫克，是不可行的，学生们会拒绝吃这样的食物。美国农业部的詹尼.桑顿（Janey Thornton）也曾是一名学校营养主管。她承认，食品行业的支持确实还没到位；但她也鼓励那些焦虑的学校午餐主管们，“先着眼于解决目前的问题，不要被想象中的未来的困难所羁绊”。
资讯来源：美联社（Associated Press）
四十四年前，白宫食品营养和健康大会就钠对高血压形成的关键性影响发布了相关建议；美国医学研究所(IOM)发布《美国减少钠摄入的策略》报告，至今也有四年。据估算，每年高血压造成的直接和间接成本已经超过730亿美元。美国食品和药品管理局前局长、美国医学研究所减钠委员会主席简·海尼（Jane E. Henney）说，尽管此类研究结果比比皆是，但迄今为止无论是政府还是食品行业，都没有采取协调一致的减钠行动。无容置疑，国家级的领导应当下定决心，采取行动，把选择的权利交回购买和消费食品的个人手中，而不是交到食品行业的手中。海尼博士指出，美国政府似乎仍然满足于各食品公司自愿减少的那一点点钠，以及他们做出的未来继续减钠的承诺。当然，这些行动值得表扬，但却缺乏可持续性。海尼博士呼吁新上任的卫生和公众服务部长西尔维亚.马修斯.伯维尔（Sylvia Mathews Burwell）采取措施，在这个事关公共健康的问题上取得进展。
资讯来源：美国国会山网站（The Hill）
州/地方新闻
作为华盛顿特区一家将“健康”定为主要卖点的送餐服务公司的老板，邦妮.考伯利（Bonnie Coberly）坚持与顾客保持对话，不断推进减钠的目标。“置身食品行业，要为大众提供更加健康的食物，我深感责任重大，” 考伯利如是说。总部设在华盛顿特区的美国健康食品委员会之创始人劳伦斯·威廉姆斯指出：“人们开始理解‘在外就餐’质量的重要性了，这会带来深远的影响。我们的任务就是，设法让健康食品更赚钱。”。尽管让食品行业商家着手从配方中减钠并不容易，但考伯利说，她的公司的“全部使命”，就是为顾客“提供一种健康的替代食物，这种食物方便快捷，含脂肪更少，含糖也低，而且最重要的是，含盐量更少。”
资讯来源：《华盛顿商业杂志》（Washington Business Journal）
民意调查：政府是否应该规范食盐消耗？
最近的一份报告显示，英国对钠摄入的规定已经挽救了不少人的生命，并降低了相关的医疗费用。一项针对美国人的民意调查向被调查者问道，如果美国联邦政府学习英国的做法，他们会怎么看？就在写作这篇报道的时候，大约2700位被调查者中有78%的人选择了“不应该这样做：消费者应当对自己的盐摄入量负责”，而另外22%的人则选择了“应该这样做：食盐是造成美国数十亿美元相关医疗费用的无声杀手”。
资讯来源：Summerville Patch网站
国际新闻
减盐目标可降低心血管疾病负担及医疗卫生支出
2014年世界心脏病学大会上展示的一项南非减盐政策建模研究表明，把盐的摄入量减少到每天不超过5克（约1900毫克的钠），可将心血管疾病死亡率降低11 ％，并显著降低病人的自付医疗费用。这项研究的作者们使用了调查和流行病学数据，对南非政府2013年制定的减盐目标带来的健康和经济方面的潜在影响进行了计算。南非政府的减盐行动计划通过对普通加工食品盐含量最高水平进行强制性限定、开展公众教育活动等措施，到2020年将每日盐摄入量降低到5克以下。南非政府医疗补贴每年减少5100万美元，个人自付医疗费用每年减少了400万美元（个人自付医疗费用的减少在中等偏下阶层、中间阶层和中上阶层的人群尤为显著），这些都与政府的减少食盐消费行动紧密相关。
资讯来源：《肿瘤学报告》（The Oncology Report）杂志
加拿大最大的零售商罗布劳公司（Loblaw Companies）承诺，在2014和2015年要将其旗下“总统的选择”（President’s Choice）品牌下属的400多种产品的钠含量水平降低20%。“总统的选择”是加拿大顶级消费品牌之一。该公司的减钠行动将重点关注酱汁、调味料、烘焙食品以及其它传统的高钠产品。“很多加拿大人已经学会了如何更好地控制他们自己的盐罐，但是食品制造商仍然挥舞着行业‘盐罐’，向加拿大人的饮食中添加着用以调味的看不见的钠，” 罗布劳公司执行主席盖伦.韦斯顿说道。在过去的四年里，罗布劳公司已经在“总统的选择”、“无名”、“农贸市场”及其它品牌下售卖的471种产品中减少了共33万磅的钠，并推出了一些钠含量水平更低的新产品。
资讯来源：超级市场新闻网站（Supermarket News）
专家和减盐行动人士警告说，许多以“低脂肪含量”或“健康选择”为噱头大肆宣传的食品，其含盐水平“没有必要的高”。《每日电讯报》做的一项分析表明，一些食品以“清淡”或“健康”为名进行营销的食品，其含盐量比这些食品本来的全脂包装还要高。通过对30种食品进行调查发现，很多这种产品每份中含盐超过1.8克（约700毫克的钠）。也就说是，依照英国政府对于食品包装的“红绿灯”管理办法，这些食品本应当贴上红色的标签。按照英国的指导标准，有几种小分量包装的产品所含盐分的浓度已经达到“高”的水平，这其中包括“对自己好一点”系列的培根和奶酪、“超清淡”系列中的蛋黄酱等食品。食品专家们指责零售商向希望吃到健康食品的消费者出售“具有欺骗性”的产品，因为实际上这些产品的含盐水平较高。
资讯来源：英国《每日电讯报》（The Telegraph）
在世界卫生组织（WHO）给出降低所有食品钠含量的建议之后，国际乳品联合会（IDF）呼吁世界卫生组织在给出建议时应当把盐的功能用途考虑在内。世界卫生组织建议食盐摄入量从为之前的每天6克降低到每天5克（分别含约2300毫克和1900毫克的钠），但国际乳品联合会说，食盐在奶酪制作中起着至关重要的作用，这一作用应当在制定减盐目标时得到理解。在一项由乳品专家完成、并被该组织发表的研究当中，国际乳品联合会承认了盐摄入对人类健康的影响，但补充说道“食盐可以抑制不良微生物的生长，具有技术性能和功能，因此它被用来保存食物，这一做法已经有好几千年的历史了”。
资讯来源：英国食品加工行业网站（Food Manufacture.co.uk）
根据莱瑟食品研究公司（Leatherhead Food Research）的说法，土耳其在减钠工作方面要落后于西欧，但是该国具有很好的开放性，使得该国烘焙食品制造商引进创新技术的条件十分成熟。“烘焙食品业和零食行业有很好的机会，能够创新技术，培训员工，也可以直接借鉴一些在西欧已经普遍采纳、经过实践证明了的减盐理念，” 莱瑟公司的业务创新经理史蒂夫·奥斯本介绍道。他还补充说，像墨西哥、印度尼西亚、尼日利亚和土耳其这样的新兴市场对减钠方面的创新技术的接受度更高，相较于西欧各国来说，他们所持怀疑态度更少。
资讯来源：烘焙食品和零食网（Bakeryandsnacks.com）
欧洲各国在减少盐、糖和脂肪的摄入以改善民众饮食和减少心脏疾病、肥胖症和糖尿病的患病率方面，已经取得了许多进展。但是，并不是说所有的目标均已经实现，而且不少健康方面的专业人员对于未来策略有不同看法。尽管欧洲各国尤其是英国在减少食盐摄入方面已经迈出了积极的步伐，许多卫生和政府组织仍在努力推动进一步的减盐计划。可是，一些营养学家和政策制定者对于未来减盐行动是否能够改善公众健康这一点持怀疑态度，并且认为进一步减盐可能在某些情况下会弊大于利。
资讯来源： 食品导航者网站（FoodNavigator.com）
对吸烟、饮酒和食盐摄入进行限制可以在全世界预防3700万人过早死亡
根据最近发表在《柳叶刀》杂志上的一项分析，如果能对吸烟、饮酒、高盐摄入、高血压、高血糖、肥胖症等进行抑制，到2025年将可以预防超过37万人的过早死亡。如果说用来降低这些风险因素的全球目标能够被采纳并达成，那么在2010年和2025年期间，男人们过早死于心脏疾病、肺部疾病、中风、癌症和糖尿病的风险可以降低22%，而女人们则可以降低19%。“在世界范围内来看，这种改进相当于在15年时间里延迟或预防了至少1600万年龄在30到70岁之间的人的死亡，以及2100万70岁或以上的人的死亡。”研究者们说道。具体的目标为：减少30％的盐摄入量，30％的烟草使用量，10％的酒精摄入量以及25%的高血压患病率。研究人员利用各国人口数据和流行病学模型计算出了上述数字。
资讯来源：俄罗斯之声广播电台（The Voice of Russia）
新研究/调研成果
最近，“2008年雀巢婴幼儿喂养研究（FITS）”的最新调查结果在2014年实验生物学年会上公布。这些研究结果表明，幼龄儿童食用的某些特定食物是导致他们在日常饮食中钠摄入和饱和脂肪摄入过量在的罪魁祸首。仅仅一把量的此类食物中所含的钠，就达到了幼儿每日钠摄入推荐量的近40%。这些食物包括：牛奶、热狗、培根、鸡肉、火鸡肉、奶酪、面包和面包卷、饼干和麦片。这样的摄入水平，相当于一个2岁至4岁的儿童平均每天消耗1863毫克的钠。最新发布的这些研究成果，对“雀巢婴幼儿喂养研究”以前发布的研究结果进行了进一步的补充。之前的研究结果就显示，45％的幼儿和78％的学前儿童消耗的钠要比推荐的量更多。
资讯来源：食品导航者-美国网站（FoodNavigator-USA.com）
其它信息
最近，《纽约时报》（New York Times）专栏版上发表了一篇题为《隐藏在我们食物里的公共健康危机》的文章，引起了读者的积极反响。在该文章中，托马斯·法利（Thomas A. Farley）医生根据英国政府的减钠项目所公布的最新调查结果，讨论了包装食品中隐藏的钠这个问题。“真正的供餐保姆，即那些高度加工食品的生产商，他们强喂给我们太多的盐，导致了许多心脏病和中风病例。我们的国家还要允许这种情况持续多久？”公共卫生研究所高级顾问、纽约市前助理卫生局长林恩·斯尔沃（Lynn Silver）问道。“纽约的国家减盐行动是一个很好的开始，她补充道，“但食品公司还没有像实际需要的那样采取有力的行动。”另一位读者得出的结论是：“保护消费者，目前要靠我们自己”，直到美国食品和药品管理局能够“想出如何规范盐含量的办法”，或者是“更多的食品公司能够自觉自愿地加入到减钠行动中来，就像英国那样”。还有一位读者是一名患有高血压的老年妇女，她说自己之前曾怀着半信半疑的心态把自己每日钠摄入量减少到1500毫克，现在她的血压读数已经回归到正常范围以内。
资讯来源：《纽约时报》（New York Times）
英国坎普登食品研究院的食品微生物学部门负责人罗伊.贝茨（Roy Betts）警告说，除非食品公司知道如何正确地减少其产品中盐、脂肪和糖含量，否则这些做法可能会增加食物中毒的风险。坎普登食品研究院是一家为食品行业提供研究和开发服务的组织。罗伊说，食品制造企业需要明白盐和糖所提供的防腐效果。“去掉具有防腐功能的原料，这是冒着一定风险的，并不是一件很容易做且没有安全隐患的事情。”他解释道。食品公司通过减少某个产品中的盐或糖的含量，会改变该产品中微生物生长的状况，因此就可能使食物中毒的风险增加。
资讯来源：英国食品加工行业网站（FoodManufacture.co.uk）
关于盐的真相：你应不应该改掉吃盐多的习惯？
美国疾病预防与控制中心、美国心脏协会以及其它卫生机构给出的指导性建议似乎都在表明：每个人都需要限制钠盐的摄入。英国最近的一项研究证实了这种需求。该研究发现，降低盐的消耗量，可减少中风和心脏病的死亡率。不过与此同时，丹麦的研究人员在研究报告中说，只有极高的钠摄入量才与死亡率的增加有关;他们竟然说，每天消耗5000毫克的钠（目前推荐摄入量的两倍）也可以是健康的。该文章对人们是否真的需要减少钠摄入量这一问题进行了讨论，并就计算每个人的健康摄入量的方法进行了描述。
资讯来源： The Daily Beast 网站
请注意：
本简讯英文版由美国疾病预防控制中心发布，中文版由骄阳翻译公司翻译，如有歧义，请以英文版本为准。
《减盐新闻》在内容上只基于新闻价值和读者的潜在兴趣进行选择。美国疾病预防控制中心对所提供文章的真实性和准确性不承担任何责任。文章的选择、省略或文章内容并不意味着美国疾病预防控制中心对其内容有支持或其它观点。
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April 25–May 8, 2014
Reduction Potential: Salt and Sugar Have Synergistic Effects on Extruded Snacks
Salt and sugar may have synergistic effects on the texture and quality of extruded snack products—those that are mixed and forced through an opening to be shaped and cut to a specific size—and there is potential to reduce both ingredients without negative effects, according to new research published in theJournal of Food Engineering. The synergistic effect of reducing salt and sugar levels means it may be possible to decrease the salt and sugar in extruded products while maintaining textural quality, according to the researchers. – Bakeryandsnacks.com
ConAgra Foods Reveals Nutrition Findings
ConAgra Foods, one of North America’s leading food makers, recently presented findings from nutrition studies and hosted a session at the 2014 Experimental Biology conference. As part of a special session on sodium, nutrition, and health, experts examining the science to date regarding sodium intake said that the latest research does not support sodium intake reduction to current recommendations of 1,500 milligrams or even 2,300 milligrams. Citing a recently published study in the American Journal of Hypertension, the presenters noted that the lowest risk for heart disease observed was associated with sodium intakes similar to average American sodium intakes. “While the sodium science evolves, it’s important to remember that heart health is much broader than sodium intake,” said Kristin Reimers, nutrition director of ConAgra Foods. – Broadway World
Schools Seek Changes to Healthier Lunch Rules
Some schools say mandatory school meal changes have been expensive and difficult to put in place, and school officials are asking Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to roll back some of the requirements. Although school nutrition directors across the country generally agreed that healthy changes were needed in school lunches and students have adapted easily to many of the changes, some directors say the standards were put in place too quickly. Schools will have to lower the total sodium levels in their meals for the next school year and will have to lower them even further by 2017. School lunch directors say the 2017 target—935 milligrams total in an elementary school lunch and 1,080 milligrams in a high school lunch—is not feasible and that students will reject the foods. USDA’s Janey Thornton, a former school nutrition director, acknowledges the food industry is not there yet, but she encourages frustrated school lunch directors to “worry about today first before we imagine the worst down the road.” – Associated Press
It has been 44 years since the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health issued recommendations that highlighted the role of sodium in the development of hypertension, and 4 years since the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its report on “Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States.” Estimates of the direct and indirect costs of hypertension alone have been calculated in excess of $73 billion annually. Despite these findings, no concerted action has been taken—by either the government or the food industry—to reduce sodium content in food, according to Jane E. Henney, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and chair of the IOM’s committee on sodium reduction. Although it is clear that it will take resolve and action by those in authority at the federal level to put choice back in the hands of individuals who select and consume food instead of in the hands of the food industry, Dr. Henney noted the United States still seems to be satisfied with modest voluntary reductions and future commitments by individual companies—which are to be commended, but suffer often from a lack of sustainability. Dr. Henney called for newly introduced Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell to move forward on this critical public health goal. – The Hill
What Role Can Businesses Play in Cutting Back on Salt in the American Diet?
As the owner of a Washington, D.C., meal delivery service that makes health its main selling point, Bonnie Coberly maintains an ongoing conversation with consumers about a renewed push to cut back on sodium. “Being part of the food industry, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to provide foods that are healthier for people,” Coberly said. Lawrence Williams, founder of the D.C.-based U.S. Healthful Food Council, noted that “people are starting to understand the importance of ‘food away from home’ and how big an impact it makes. Our mission is, how do we make healthy food more profitable?” Although it is not easy for businesses to start cutting sodium from their recipes, Coberly said the “whole mission” of her company is to “provide a healthy alternative that’s convenient, without all the fat, without all the sugar—and without all the salt.” – Washington Business Journal
Poll: Should the Government Regulate Salt Consumption?
A recent report showed that sodium regulation in Britain has saved lives and reduced health care costs. The poll asked readers how they would feel if the U.S. federal government followed Britain’s lead. At the time of writing, 78% of about 2,700 respondents chose “No: Consumers should take responsibility for salt intake themselves,” while 22% chose “Yes: Salt is a silent killer adding billions to U.S. health costs.” – Summerville Patch
Salt Targets Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Burden and Health Expenditures
Reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams per day (about 1,900 milligrams of sodium) could reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease by 11% and significantly decrease out-of-pocket health expenditures, according to a modeling study of South Africa’s salt reduction policy that was presented at the World Congress of Cardiology 2014. The study authors used surveys and epidemiological data to calculate the potential health and economic impacts of salt targets set in 2013 by the South African government, which employs mandatory maximum levels in common processed foods and public education campaigns to reduce daily salt intake below 5 grams by 2020. The reduction in salt consumption was associated with a $51 million per-year reduction in government health subsidies and a $4 million reduction in individual out-of-pocket expenses, particularly among the lower-middle, middle, and upper-middle classes. – The Oncology Report
Loblaw to Reduce Sodium in President’s Choice by 20%
Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest retailer, has pledged to reduce sodium levels by 20% in 2014 and 2015 across 400 products in President’s Choice, one of Canada’s top consumer brands. The retailer will focus on sauces, dressings, bakery items, and other categories that have traditionally posed the biggest sodium-reduction challenges. “While many Canadians have learned to better control their own salt shaker, food manufacturers still wield an industrial-sized shaker, controlling the unseen sodium that seasons the Canadian diet,” said executive chairman Galen Weston. In the past 4 years, Loblaw has cut more than 330,000 pounds of sodium across 471 products sold under President’s Choice, no name, Farmer’s Market, and other brands and has introduced new products with lower sodium levels. – Supermarket News
The “Healthy” Dinners Laced with Salt
Many food products promoted as low fat or healthy options contain levels of salt that experts and campaigners warn are “unnecessarily high.” An analysis byThe Telegraph showed that some products marketed as “light” or “healthy” contain more salt than their full-fat equivalents. A survey of 30 items found that many contained more than 1.8 grams of salt (about 700 milligrams of sodium) in a portion, meaning they would be given red labels under the British government’s “traffic light” approach tor food packaging. Several products consumed in smaller portions, including “Be Good to Yourself” bacon and cheese and “extra light” mayonnaise, contained concentrations of salt deemed “high” under the country’s guidelines. Experts accused retailers of selling “deceptive” products that are aimed at consumers wanting to eat healthfully but which contain high levels of salt. – The Telegraph
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) has called for the functional uses of salt to be taken into consideration, following World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to lower sodium in all foods. WHO recommended daily salt intake be lowered to 5 grams per day from 6 grams per day (about 1,900 milligrams and 2,300 milligrams, respectively), but IDF said salt plays a crucial role in cheese-making and needed to be understood in exploration of such targets. In a study carried out by dairy experts and published by the organization, IDF said it recognized the impact of salt intake on human health but added, “Salt has been used for thousands of years to preserve foods by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms and for technological properties and functionalities.” – FoodManufacture.co.uk
Turkey Is Ripe for Innovative Salt Reduction
Turkey lags behind Western Europe when it comes to sodium reduction, but the country has an openness that makes it ripe for bakers to introduce innovative technologies, according to Leatherhead Food Research. “There’s a real opportunity for the bakery and snacks sector to innovate and educate as well as adopt some of the good, established salt reduction philosophies that have become commonplace in Western Europe,” said Steve Osborn, Leatherhead’s business innovation manager. Emerging markets, such as Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey, were more accepting of sodium reduction innovation and less skeptical than their Western European counterparts, he added. – Bakeryandsnacks.com
Salt, Sugar, and Fat: Where Are We Now, and Where Can We Go?
A lot of progress has been made to reduce salt, sugar, and fat consumption to improve European diets and cut rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, but not all targets have been met, and there are disagreements among health professionals about future strategy. Despite positive steps in reducing levels of salt in Europe—and especially in the United Kingdom—many health and government organizations are pushing for further reductions. However, some dieticians and policy makers are skeptical whether future reductions will improve public health and believe that it could do more harm than good in some cases. – FoodNavigator.com
Curbing Smoking, Drinking, Salt Intake Can Prevent 37 Million Premature Deaths Globally
Curbing smoking and drinking, high salt intake, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity could prevent more than 37 million premature deaths by 2025, according to an analysis recently published in The Lancet. If globally adopted targets for reducing these risk factors were met, the risk for dying prematurely from heart or lung disease, stroke, cancer, or diabetes could fall by 22% for men and 19% for women between 2010 and 2025. “Worldwide, this improvement is equivalent to delaying or preventing at least 16 million deaths in people aged 30 to 70 years and 21 million in those aged 70 years or older over 15 years,” the researchers said. The targets are to reduce salt intake by 30%, tobacco use by 30%, alcohol consumption by 10%, and high blood pressure by 25%. The researchers used national population data and epidemiological models for their calculations. – The Voice of Russia
Handful of Foods Responsible for High Sodium Intake in Young Children
Specific foods consumed by young children are resulting in excessive intake of sodium and saturated fat in their daily diets, according to updated findings from the 2008 Nestle Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) recently presented at the Experimental Biology 2014 conference. Just a handful of foods contribute almost 40% of young children’s daily sodium intake, including milk, hot dogs, bacon, chicken, turkey, cheese, bread and rolls, crackers, and cereals. This intake equates to a child aged 2 to 4 years consuming an average of 1,863 milligrams of sodium per day. The new findings complement previously released research from FITS that showed that 45% of toddlers and 78% of preschoolers consume more sodium than recommended. – FoodNavigator-USA.com
Bring the Salt Monster Under Check
Readers respond to the editor on a recent article, “The Public Health Crisis Hiding in Our Food,” (Op-Ed, April 21), in which physician Thomas A. Farley discussed the hidden sodium in packaged foods in light of recent findings from the British government’s sodium reduction program. “For how much longer will our country allow the real food nanny—the producers of highly processed foods—to cause heart attacks and strokes by force-feeding us too much salt?” asked Lynn Silver, senior adviser at the Public Health Institute and former assistant health commissioner for New York City. “New York’s National Salt Reduction Initiative was a great start,” she added, “but food companies have not acted as forcefully as needed.” A second reader concluded that “it’s up to . . . the consumers to protect ourselves” until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “figures out how to regulate salt content or until more food companies join a voluntary sodium-reduction program like the one in Britain.” A third reader, an older woman with hypertension, noted that after she skeptically reduced her sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams a day, she now has a blood pressure reading in the normal range. – New York Times
Reformulation Can Pose a Food Safety Risk
Healthy reformulation of foods by reducing levels of salt, fat, and sugar could increase the risk of food poisoning unless companies know how to do it properly, warned Roy Betts, head of food microbiology at Campden BRI, an organization that carries out research and development for the food industry. Manufacturers need to understand the preservative effect that salt and sugar provide, he said: “We remove preservatives at our peril, and it’s not something that’s easy to do safely.” By reducing the salt or sugar content of a product, food companies could change how microorganisms grow, which could increase the risk for food poisoning. – FoodManufacture.co.uk
The Truth About Salt: Should You Shake the Habit?
Guidelines from CDC, the American Heart Association, and other health organizations seem to suggest that everyone needs to limit sodium. A recent study from Britain confirmed that need, finding that lower salt consumption led to fewer stroke and heart attack deaths. At the same time, however, researchers in Denmark reported that only extremely high sodium intake is related with increased fatalities; they went so far as to suggest that consuming 5,000 milligrams per day (twice the recommended amount) can be healthy. The article discusses whether people really need to reduce their sodium intake and describes how to figure out how much is a healthy amount for each individual. – The Daily Beast
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