Calling for a sharp reduction of salt levels in both restaurant and processed food, the Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a legal petition last week to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, citing a report that excessive sodium consumption kills 150,000 people each year.
Serious medical issues, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive failure and kidney disease, issues could be avoided with a reduction of salt in the diet, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The report was filed jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The CSPI, calling salt the “silent killer,” has criticized the FDA for overlooking the serious dangers associated with excessive sodium consumption. Despite urging from the CSPI, the FDA in the past has not placed restrictions on the salt content of food.
In a press release issued last week, CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson said the FDA needs to readdress its priorities.
“Frankly, the FDA is more interested in racing expensive new drug therapies for high blood pressure to market than it is improving Americans’ diets so they wouldn’t need the drugs,” Jacobson said.
The CSPI’s petition calls for the FDA to reduce the daily value of sodium per person from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg. On average, Americans consume about 4,000 mg of sodium per day, according to the CSPI.
The petition requested that the FDA remove salt from its list of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) products. It also requested that the FDA set ceilings for salt levels for specific categories of food.
For example, the petition said the FDA should regulate salt levels in pre-cooked McDonald’s french fries.
The FDA declined to comment about the petition.
The CSPI’s petition cited public efforts that McDonald’s and several other food establishments made in the 1980s to lower sodium levels.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman declined to comment on the petition, but she said the restaurant has been developing a healthier menu and tries to promote foods that have high nutritional value.
The Salt Institute, a nonprofit association of salt producers that sponsors scientific studies on the various impacts of salt, refuted the CSPI’s findings in a press release issued in response to the petition. Salt Institute President Richard Hanneman cited a report by the president of the International Society of Hypertension, which found that people who follow a low-sodium diet have a 20 percent-higher mortality rate.
“Whether dietary salt is a health risk is an important question that needs to be answered with medical evidence, not media sound bites,” Hanneman said.
Although salt is a natural part of most foods, Americans consume the majority of their salt from processed foods, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Proposed regulations would require nutritional information on retail packages containing half an ounce of salt or more.
Dr. Carlos Camargo, one of three Harvard University professors to co-sign the petition, said most people are not aware of the main sources of sodium.
“It’s important for people to understand that about 80 percent of salt intake comes from the prepared food itself,” Dr. Camargo said in an email. “The decision to not use a salt shaker is not enough.”
Jami Snyder, spokeswoman of Harvard University Dining Services, said Harvard’s dining program has made a conscious effort to limit students’ salt consumption.
“One thing we do primarily is to avoid processed frozen foods because those are loaded with salts,” Snyder said. “We use the freshest ingredients possible, and we use herbs and spices to let the flavor of the food come through more accurately.”
Although HUDS does not have specific guidelines regarding salt consumption, Snyder said the dining halls try to accommodate students with low-sodium diets or other dietary needs.
“We have an online feedback system, and we have comment cards in the dining hall, so we’re constantly getting feedback from the students,” she said. “We normally respond within 24 hours. If a student brings to our attention that a dish is tasting too salty, we’ll definitely test it. And if it’s too salty, then we’ll definitely take it off the line.”
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