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2014年6月20日-2014年7月3日
行业新闻
较少的盐也能保证同样的口感？食品企业正悄悄的改变着他们的食物配方
食品和餐饮企业在生产更加健康的食品这方面面临越来越大的压力，但是有时他们却并不希望消费者知道他们什么时候减少了盐或者脂肪的用量。这些公司对于知名产品的调整采取了“隐形健康”的策略。是否以及何时告知消费者产品的变化部分取决于产品的类型。这些公司会试探性的宣传食物中营养成分的改善，但是却不会做一些被认为是激进的事情。例如，2006年通用磨坊在Progresso汤的生产线上减少了钠的用量，但是对外仅仅强调了罐头外观的变化。其实，在六年的时间周期里，通用磨坊通过在超过27种不同的汉堡助手的生产线上添加各种成分，如大蒜，洋葱，番茄，香料以及草药，将钠的使用量降低了10%到50%。但是，该公司并没有将这个减钠的信息告诉消费者。
资讯来源：华尔街日报(Wall Street Journal)
在公共利益科学中心（Center for Science in the Public Interest）的一份报告中总结到：餐厅食物中盐的用量正悄悄地，逐步地减少。该机构表扬了赛百味、麦当劳以及汉堡王。从2009年到2013年，这些快餐连锁品牌食物中钠的含量减少了。与此同时，他们也批评了肯德基、Jack in the Box和Red Lobster，因为在这段时间里这几家提供的食物中的钠含量不但没有减少反而增加了。该机构通过对17家顶级连锁餐厅里的136种食物的含钠量进行测量，发现在这四年时间里，这些餐饮企业食物中的钠含量平均减少了6%。麦当劳得分很高的部分原因是他们减少了开心乐园餐中炸薯条的比重，并且增加了苹果片。调查结果显示，麦当劳全部食物的含钠量都降低了，四年当中总体下降率达17%。
资讯来源：今日美国（USA Today）
人类需要钠，不过按照公共利益科学中心的调查结果，如果美国人民继续维持目前钠消耗量的水平，钠不但是无益的，反而变成了食物供给过程中最危险的单一物质。咖啡厅和餐饮服务公司Bon Appetit Management 的战略副总裁Maisie Ganzler表示，由于2013年公共利益科学中心和该企业的一项旨在减少其500多家咖啡厅中厨房用盐的联合行动，该公司已经就减少钠的用量学到了很多。例如，该公司意识到他们的熟食店和披萨站售卖的都是含盐量很高的食物。为了实现制作低盐的火鸡和瑞士三明治这一目标，该公司研究并使用了低钠火鸡肉。其它减盐行动还包括提供更小份的可选配料、将奶酪做为可选项而不是必选项、推荐顾客选择生菜、西红柿、洋葱和其他低盐配料等；他们甚至还引入了减少50%含盐配料的开放式三明治。
资讯来源： 赫芬顿邮报（Huffington Post）
在美国食品药品监督管理局强制措施出现前餐厅已经开始寻找食盐替代品
虽然美国食品药品监督管理局对于具体什么时候发布食品中钠含量的指导意见还没有正式的时间表，一些餐饮企业已经开始采取行动了。像麦当劳这样的快餐连锁机构已经随着消费者健康意识的增强而推广低钠食品供消费者选择，同时他们也在以隐蔽的方式减少食盐的使用。该行业的其它企业正集中精力寻找食盐的替代品。食盐在食品行业中的未来正在演变的过程中，而且它的地位也将随着美国食品药品监督管理局指导意见的出台发生更多的改变。
资讯来源：企业家（Entrepreneur）
随着针对食品制造商和餐饮企业用钠标准的新的联邦指导意见的进程，食盐生产企业莫顿盐业正试图找到盐味的替代矿物质而不增加钠的含量。莫顿盐业正在其新的食品实验室研究被其称为“下一代钠减少解决方案”的新产品。这种转变意味着当指导意见开始贯彻实施的时候，这些新开发的盐以及盐的替代品将使得消费者不会怀念减少了钠含量的产品中盐的味道。莫顿盐业的发言人丹尼斯·劳尔（Denise Lauer）说该解决方案可以包括提供更细的盐，这样就能提供“快速咸的感觉”，也就能够减少食盐的使用。该公司已经向市场提供了由氯化钾制作的替代盐以及由氯化钠和氯化钾混合制成的名为Lite Salt Mixture的替代盐。
资讯来源： 彭博商业周刊（Bloomberg Businessweek）
政府新闻
加工食品中钠含量是否过高的争论最近又吵得沸沸扬扬，不过政策专家们对于美国食品药品监督管理局将很快出台自愿降低食品中钠含量的指导意见这一点并不抱多大希望。2013年，该局设定的目标是今年出台指导意见，一度引起了媒体的广泛关注，同时也让很多批评家指责奥巴马政府手伸的太长。不过到目前为止，还无法确定该指导意见何时能够正式出台。专家指出，美国食品药品监督管理局的食品政策计划过于激进且管的太多，却又没有给予减钠足够的重视。目前，该局的首要工作包括就一项旨在修改常用营养成分标签和参考数值的重大提案征求意见，修订食品安全现代化法案中的关键条款，禁止使用人造反式脂肪酸，研究监管食品添加剂的办法，等等。
资讯来源：政治家网站（Politico）
每个人都认为给予在校儿童足够的营养是非常重要的事情，不过对于哪种方式是最好的这一问题，却是仁者见仁，智者见智。一些批评者声称，近期美国农业部要求学校大幅改变营养计划的要求很难实现。代表超过50,000所学校的营养师和食堂专业人员的学校营养协会呼吁国会放宽新标准，尤其在以下几个方面：（1）五谷杂粮的供应量，（2）减少钠的目标，他们认为该目标无法实现而且也不科学，（3）强制性的水果和蔬菜供应。
资讯来源： 芝加哥论坛报（Chicago Tribune）
联邦政府与EatingWell杂志联手创建了一个网站，提供富有创新的营养食谱，这些食谱对心脏和腰围都非常有益，且以低钠为主要特点，这对于高血压患者来十分重要。与EatingWell杂志合作创立该网站的美国疾控中心主任汤姆·弗里登说：“这种资源的存在可以帮助人们认识到健康食谱不是要你放弃你所钟爱的食物，而是选择那些尝起来很棒的低钠食物。”为了减少钠含量， Million Hearts网站上提供的免费食谱更加注重使用更少的包装食品、酱料以及调味料，而更倾向于用天然配料、干燥香料和最少量的食盐给食物调味。
资讯来源：波士顿环球报（Boston Globe）
为控制钠的摄入量，由美国疾病预防控制中心拨款成立的华盛顿州克拉克县公共健康中心正与当地的餐馆合作减少他们菜品中钠的含量。克拉克县公共健康中心近期主办了一个面向当地私营餐馆厨师的两小时免费烹饪班，由厨师和注册营养师Garrett Berdan演示提高香料味道以及如何使用更多的美味食材的技术。例如，通过在干燥的香料中加入热油，使味道充分扩散到食物中；通过研钵和研杵的研磨充分释放香料种子中油的香气。Berdan说：“盐并不是让食物尝起来更好的答案。”
资讯来源：“哥伦比亚人”网站（Colombian）
国际新闻
地方政府协会负责人指出：消费者正在被商家对于食物中钠、脂肪和糖的含量的描述所误导
在英国国家层面负责监督地方政府行为的地方政府协会警告说：那些试图购买健康食品的消费者正在不知不觉中购买了高钠、高脂或高糖的食物。地方政府协会表示：应当禁止这些虽然标榜为健康食品但实际上盐、脂肪、糖的含量都很高的食品在市场上推广。该协会在英国政府医疗改革中承担维护公众健康的责任。协会的领导希望欧盟官员能够推出对于健康食品中健康和营养成分进行政府监管的条例。地方政府协会的一位发言人表示：按照目前的欧盟条例，食品企业可以对他们的产品进行清晰、准确、具体的描述，不过该描述可以只针对部分营养成分。例如，食品标签中表明了低脂的食品也许含钠量和含糖量都非常的高。
资讯来源：卫报（Guardian）
台湾健康促进管理局近期发出呼吁：随着台湾学生暑假开始，许多人将在家中度过漫长的假期，希望年轻人不要随意的吃零食，比如方便面和薯片，以免摄入过多的钠。台湾卫生和福利部建议一个成年人每日的钠消耗量不要超过2400毫克。然而，政府所做的营养和健康调查显示，1993年到2011年间，男性高中学生的每日钠摄入量接近5000毫克。该调查还指出，年轻人之所以摄入较高剂量的钠主要是因为他们经常食用一些含钠量高的食物。
资讯来源： 台北时报（Taipei Times）
根据2010年的统计数据，韩国人平均每天消耗近4900毫克的钠，超过每日推荐量的两倍。一碗拉面中的钠含量为1700到2000毫克，如果再加上100克的泡菜（由蔬菜发酵制作而成，如大白菜），这又增加了1000毫克的钠。这样的一顿被许多韩国人认为便宜、方便、美味的餐食，消费者食用后钠的摄入量已经超过了一整天的限量。意识到国民高钠饮食带来的健康成本的韩国政府，在2012年发起了一项全国性的减盐运动，并专门成立韩国减钠运动中心。该中心的目标是：到2020年，减少国民20%的钠摄入量。为实现这一目标，该中心正在实施多个针对个体消费者、教师、厨师和食品行业官员的项目。
资讯来源：韩国先驱报（Korea Herald）
近日，“健康饮食亚洲人始终在一起（Healthy Eating Asians Remain Together）”项目数据的分析结果发表在了《临床高血压（Journal of Clinical Hypertension）》杂志上。分析结果表明，高钠摄入量和低镁摄入量都有可能会增加人患高血压的风险。研究者通过对印度168个参与者24小时内的尿液样本的测试得出：钠的摄入量增加以及镁的摄入量减少都将导致血压的升高。
资讯来源：Foodconsumer.org网站
新研究/调研成果
根据在2014年度食品技术年会及食品博览会上的一个专题讨论的结论，50%以上的消费者关心食品中盐和糖用量的减少，而美国的食品厂家却更加关注推广低脂或无脂的新产品。美国的食品生产企业正在通过悄悄地缓慢地降低食物中的盐分及糖分的含量，而消费者却正试图通过包装上的营养标签来获得这一信息。英国敏特国际集团产品创新部门的总经理Lynn Dornblaser说：“消费者将对食品味道的期待排在第一位，而食品健康的属性则排在第二位，任何（食品生产者）都要记住这一点。消费者不是怕糖或者盐，他们是害怕过多的糖或者盐。”
资讯来源：科学日报（Science Daily）
美国心脏协会和纽约市健康与心理卫生局近日联合发布新闻稿，援引34位世界顶尖科学家的一致意见说：减少钠的摄入量对于降低心脏病风险有好处。科学家们说：通过减少全民钠的摄入量，预计美国每年可以避免92,000人死亡，同时可以节省高达240亿美元的医疗支出。西门莎菲大学（Simon Fraser University）的健康科学教授Michel Joffres说：当钠的摄入量由目前的水平降到接近2000到2300毫克这一指导线的时候，我们就能够发现实质性的好处了。
资讯来源：Medical Xpress
其它信息
“合理用钠”项目将帮助美国民众找到餐食含钠750毫克或更少的餐厅
随着全国范围内的餐厅很快就要面临来自美国食品药品监督管理局的降低食品中钠含量的压力，健康饮食项目的总裁和创始人安妮塔·琼斯 - 穆勒（Anita Jones-Mueller）盛赞许多餐馆已经参与到“健康饮食合理用钠”这一项目中来。总部位于加利福尼亚的健康饮食项目已经就减少菜单中食物钠的含量与餐厅合作好几年了。“健康饮食合理用钠”这一项目可以让消费者很容易的在成千上万的全国餐厅中找到提供低钠菜单选项。有资格参与到合理用钠这一项目中来的餐厅，所提供的主菜钠含量不能超过750毫克，开胃菜、配菜或者饭后甜品中的钠含量必须不高于250毫克。人们可以通过网站Healthy Dining’s website所列出的带有“合理用钠”标记的菜单来满足他们的需求。
资讯来源：美国餐厅新闻（Restaurant News）
本文通过讨论降低钠的几个意见和措施，介绍了目前美国的减钠现状。在费城，一张新的减少钠的用量的宣传海报上，一个非洲裔的美国人的一侧脸非常明显地下垂，旁边的文字写道：“中风改变了你的生活，吃盐太多是患中风的原因之一”。美国盐业协会这一行业组织的一位科学家Morton Satin说：摄入太多或太少的盐都与健康息息相关，不过除此之外，科学对钠的其它影响知之甚少。莫耐尔化学感官中心的主任加里·比彻姆（Gary Beauchamp）说：人类在没有太多盐的环境中完成了进化，在近代，通过烘焙和加工，钠被加入到我们吃的绝大多数食物中。如果你想大幅减少美国人饮食中的钠，你就不得不改变整个食物存在的大环境。
资讯来源：NewsWorks
美国食品药品监督管理局正在制定一项新的自愿遵守的指导意见，以限制食品杂货店以及餐馆中食物的钠含量。消费者可以通过使用营养标签检查包装食品的钠含量。按照每天2400毫克这一每日比值来看，大多数美国人实际的消耗量超过三分之一。自称为“超级营养师”的马德琳·伯格（Madeleine Berg）说：“作为美国人，我们吃了太多的加工食品，这就是为什么我们的钠摄入量如此之高的原因。”
资讯来源：新闻日报（Newsday）
钠的摄入量在美国高得离谱，超过了每日建议上限2300毫克的两倍。流行病学对于大部分人的研究表明，收缩压（心脏跳动时对血管产生的压力）在25到55岁这个年龄段内平均增加15个毫米汞柱，健康专家说太多的钠摄入是造成这一增长的主要原因。如果钠的摄入量不超过建议上限，那么收缩压将增加6个毫米汞柱，而不是15个。预计较低的血压将使人在55岁时心脏病患病几率减少16%的，中风风险降低23%。不过，并不是每个人都对于钠的摄入有同样的反应，这种对于食盐敏感性的差异导致了公众对于这一问题认知的复杂化。
资讯来源：信使日报（Courier-Journal）
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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June 20–July 3, 2014
Less Salt, Same Taste? Food Companies Quietly Change Recipes
Food and restaurant companies are under increasing pressure to make products healthier, but sometimes they do not want customers to know when they have cut the salt or fat. Companies have employed the “stealth health” tactic in tweaking well-known products. The decision on whether and when to tell consumers about product changes depends partly on the type of product. Companies tout nutritional improvements in foods aimed at health-conscious consumers but may not do so for items that are considered indulgences. For example, after General Mills reduced sodium levels in a line of Progresso soups in 2006, it highlighted the change on the cans. However, over a 6-year period, General Mills cut sodium per serving by 10% to 50% in more than 27 varieties of Hamburger Helper by adding ingredients such as garlic, onion, tomato, spices, and herbs, but the company did not advertise the cuts to consumers. – Wall Street Journal
Salt Still High on Restaurant Menus
Salt is quietly, gradually fading from restaurant food, concludes a new report from consumer advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The group applauds Subway, McDonald’s, and Burger King for sodium reduction from 2009 to 2013 but criticizes KFC, Jack in the Box, and Red Lobster, which it says have actually increased sodium in meals over that period. The advocacy group’s review of 136 meals from 17 top restaurant chains found that the companies reduced sodium an average 6% over the 4-year period. McDonald’s scored well in part because it has reduced the amount of fries in its Happy Meals and added apple slices; the survey showed that 100% of McDonald’s meals had reduced sodium, and its overall reduction during the 4-year period was 17%. – USA Today
Helping the Food Industry Shake Its Salt Habit
Humans need sodium, but at the levels at which Americans currently consume it, sodium could be the single most dangerous substance in the food supply, according to CSPI. Café and catering services company Bon Appetit Management has learned a lot about sodium reduction, thanks to a joint campaign conducted with CSPI in 2013 to reduce salt use in the kitchens of its more than 500 cafés, according to Vice President of Strategy Maisie Ganzler. For example, the company realized that its deli and pizza stations were full of salty items. To attain its goal of a less salty turkey and Swiss sandwich, the company found lower sodium turkey and switched to it. They also added a smaller-portioned option to reduce salt; started offering cheese as an option instead of a given; pushed the lettuce, tomato, onions, and other condiments low in salt; and even introduced open-faced sandwiches, thereby cutting out 50% of the salty components. – Huffington Post
Restaurants Seek Alternatives as FDA’s Salt Crackdown Looms
Although there is no formal timeline for new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines on sodium, some restaurants already have begun taking action. Fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s are pushing lower sodium choices for the increasingly health-conscious customer as well as trying to cut salt in stealthier ways. Other parts of the industry are focusing on finding alternatives to salt. The future of salt in the food industry is evolving, and its role will shift more as the FDA’s guidelines are released. – Entrepreneur
Morton Wants to Sell Salty Things Without All the Sodium
With new federal sodium guidelines for food manufacturers and restaurants on the way, salt producer Morton Salt is trying to find salty-tasting replacement minerals or other ingredients that do not involve increased sodium. Morton is working on what it terms “the next generation of reduced sodium solutions” at its new food lab. The shift means developing new salts and salt substitutes so that customers will not miss the taste in reduced sodium products as the new guidelines kick in. Solutions could include finer-grained salt, which delivers “a rapid salty sensation” so that less can be used, Morton spokeswoman Denise Lauer says. The company already offers salt substitutes made with potassium chloride and a Lite Salt Mixture of sodium and potassium chloride. – Bloomberg Businessweek
Sodium Remains a Lower Priority for FDA
The debate on the high sodium content of processed food recently resurfaced, but policy experts are not holding their breath that the FDA will come out with targets to voluntarily reduce those sodium levels any time soon. It is unclear when FDA will release the guidelines, despite its 2013 goal to have them completed this year, sparking numerous headlines about the agency’s plans and drawing fire from critics who argue that the Obama administration is overreaching. Experts say that the FDA has an aggressive and overflowing food policy agenda, and sodium is not yet at the top of the list. The agency is collecting comments on a major proposal to overhaul the Nutrition Facts panel and reference amounts customarily consumed, reworking key Food Safety Modernization Act rules, looking to ban artificial trans fat, and examining how the agency regulates food additives, among other priorities. – Politico
Why Kids and Nutritionists Reject New School Lunches
Good nutrition for school children is a priority that everyone can support, but not everyone can agree on the best way to achieve it. Recent changes by the U.S. Department of Agriculture require schools to alter their programs drastically in ways that are hard to meet, some critics claim. The School Nutrition Association, which represents more than 50,000 school nutritionists and cafeteria professionals, has called on Congress to relax the new standards specifically with regard to (1) the amount of whole grains offered, (2) sodium reduction targets that they consider unachievable and not based on science, and (3) mandatory fruit and vegetable servings. – Chicago Tribune
Heart-Healthy Recipes for Those Looking to Lower Sodium Intake
The federal government teamed up with EatingWell Magazine to create a new website featuring creative, nutritious recipes that are good for the heart and waistline and lower in sodium, which is key for those with high blood pressure. “This resource helps people see that it’s not about giving up the food you love but choosing lower sodium options that taste great,” said Tom Frieden, director of CDC, which helped developed the site with EatingWell. To reduce sodium, the free recipes on the Million Hearts？ website focus on using fewer packaged foods and sauces and instead flavoring foods with natural ingredients, dried spices, and a minimum of table salt. – Boston Globe
To rein in sodium consumption, Clark County Public Health in Washington State, funded by a grant from CDC, is working with local restaurants to cut back the amount of sodium in their dishes. The health department recently hosted a free 2-hour culinary class for chefs working in local, independently owned restaurants. Garrett Berdan, a chef and registered dietitian, demonstrated techniques for enhancing the flavors of spices and using more flavorful ingredients. Adding dry spices to hot oil, for example, will allow spices to disperse flavor that can then spread to all of the food, and using a mortar and pestle to grind seed spices releases flavorful oils. “Salt is not the answer to making food taste better,” Berdan said. – Colombian
Council Leaders: Shoppers “Misled” Over Level of Sodium, Fat, and Sugar in Food
British shoppers who are trying to buy healthy food products are “unwittingly” buying foods with high levels of sodium, fat, or sugar, warned the Local Government Association (LGA), which oversees local government at the national level in England. There should be a ban on the promotion of foods that purport to be healthy but actually contain high levels of these additives, the LGA said. Association leaders, who were given responsibility for public health under the U.K. government’s health reforms, want European officials to strengthen the rules governing claims on health and nutrition in health products. An LGA spokesman said that under current European Union rules, food companies are allowed to make claims about their products that are accepted as clear, accurate, and substantiated, but the claims can be made regardless of the overall nutritional quality. For example, products labeled “low fat” may have high sodium or sugar content. – Guardian
Health Body Warns Teens About Excessive Salt Intake
With Taiwanese students beginning their summer vacation—which many will spend largely at home—the Health Promotion Administration recently urged young people to avoid overconsumption of sodium by refraining from snacking on instant noodles and potato chips. The Taiwanese Ministry of Health and Welfare recommends that an adult consume no more than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. However, the average daily sodium intake of male high school students is nearly 5,000 mg per day, according to the Nutrition and Health Surveys conducted by the government between 1993 and 2011. The surveys also indicated that younger people tended to have higher levels of sodium consumption due to some of the foods that they commonly consume. – Taipei Times
The average Korean eats nearly 4,900 mg of sodium per day, more than twice the daily recommended amount, according to 2010 statistics. A bowl of ramen contains 1,700 to 2,000 mg of sodium, and if 100 grams of kimchi (fermented vegetables such as pickled cabbage) are included, that adds another 1,000 mg of sodium. With this one meal, which is loved by many Koreans for being cheap, convenient, and tasty, a consumer has surpassed the sodium limit for the entire day. Recognizing the costs of Koreans’ high sodium diet, in 2012, the government launched a national campaign against salt and set up the Korea Center for Less Sodium Campaign. Aiming for a 20% reduction by 2020, the center is carrying out various programs targeting individual consumers as well as teachers, chefs, and food industry officials. – Korea Herald
Sodium, Magnesium Linked to Hypertension in Indian Patients
An analysis of data from the Healthy Eating Asians Remain Together study suggests that high sodium intake and low magnesium intake may increase people’s risk for high blood pressure, according to results published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. Examining urine samples collected during a 24-hour period from 168 participants in India, the researchers concluded that high sodium intake and a reduction in magnesium consumption are associated with increased blood pressure. – Foodconsumer.org
Consumers Looking for Reduced Salt and Sugar in Food Products More Than Low and No Fat
More than 50% of consumers are interested in products with reduced levels of salt and sugar, yet new products in the United States are more likely to tout low or no fat, according to a recent panel discussion at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo. However, U.S. food products are lowering salt and sugar levels, many through quiet and slow means, knowing that consumers are looking at this information in nutritional labeling. “Consumers look to flavor first, health attributes second,” said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at the Mintel Group. “Any [food producer] has to keep that in mind. Consumers aren’t afraid of sugar or salt; they’re afraid of too much sugar or salt.” – Science Daily
Scientists Affirm Sodium Reduction Key to Reducing Heart Disease
The American Heart Association and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently issued a joint news release citing 34 of the world’s leading scientists’ consensus affirming the benefits of reducing population sodium intake to lower risk for heart disease. An estimated 92,000 deaths could be averted annually in the United States, the scientists say, and up to $24 billion in U.S. health care costs could be saved by reducing population-level sodium intake. “We found substantial benefits when sodium was reduced from current levels to that nearer to the guideline of 2,000–2,300 milligrams per day,” says Michel Joffres, health sciences professor at Simon Fraser University. – Medical Xpress
As restaurants nationwide soon will face FDA pressure to reduce sodium levels, Healthy Dining president and founder Anita Jones-Mueller praises the many restaurants that already participate in the Healthy Dining Sodium Savvy program. California-based Healthy Dining has been working for several years with restaurants to reduce the sodium content of their menu items. Healthy Dining’s Sodium Savvy program makes it easier for consumers to find menu choices that are lower in sodium at thousands of restaurant locations nationwide. To qualify as Sodium Savvy, an entrée must have no more than 750 mg of sodium; an appetizer, a side dish, or a dessert must have 250 mg or fewer. People should look for the Sodium Savvy icon on Healthy Dining’s website to find menu items that meet these requirements. —Restaurant News
When It Comes to Salt, How Much Is Too Much?
This article describes the current sodium landscape in the United States by noting several opinions and initiatives involving sodium reduction. In Philadelphia, a new sodium reduction campaign poster features a middle-aged African American man with a distinctive droop on one side of his face adjacent to the text, which reads, “Having a stroke can change your life. Eating too much salt is part of the problem.” Morton Satin, a food scientist for the industry trade group the Salt Institute, says that consuming extremely high or low levels of salt is linked to health problems, but beyond that, the science on sodium is far from settled. Gary Beauchamp, director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, says humans evolved in an environment without much salt; in modern times, sodium is baked and processed into much of the food that we eat. He said that to substantially reduce sodium in Americans’ diets, “you are going to have to change the food environment.” – NewsWorks
Salt: Do You Know How Much You Are Eating?
The FDA is preparing to issue a new set of voluntary guidelines to limit the amount of sodium in foods at grocery stores and in restaurants. Shoppers can check sodium levels on packaged food products by using nutrition labels. The percent daily values are based on 2,400 mg per day. Most Americans eat about one third more than that. “As Americans, we eat so much processed food,” says Madeleine Berg, the self-proclaimed “Super Nutritionist.” “That’s why our sodium intake is so high.” – Newsday
Exactly Why Does Sodium Lead to High Blood Pressure?
Sodium intake in the United States is far too high—more than twice the daily recommended limit of 2,300 mg. Epidemiological studies of large segments of the population tell us that systolic blood pressure (the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats) increases an average of 15 points from age 25 to 55 years, and health experts say that too much sodium is a factor. If sodium intake were not above the recommended limit, the increase in blood pressure would be on the order of 6 points, not 15. This lower blood pressure is estimated to reduce deaths from heart disease by 16%, with 23% fewer strokes at age 55. But not everyone responds to sodium intake in the same way, and this variation in salt sensitivity complicates public perception of the problem. – Courier-Journal
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