FDA urged to set rules reducing salt in U.S. food
4/21/2010WASHINGTON - America's long and dangerous love affair with salty food may be coming to an end.
After more than 40 years of failed efforts to reduce salt in processed food and restaurant food voluntarily, a new report calls on the Food and Drug Administration to establish mandatory standards that gradually reduce sodium content in the nation's food supply.
The report by the Institute of Medicine recommends that the FDA, working with the food industry, limit the amount of salt that restaurants, food manufacturers, and food service companies could add to their products.
The FDA said it hadn't decided whether to move on the report.
Health officials said it's a matter of life and death.
Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke.
One in three U.S. adults - nearly 75 million people 20 or older - suffer from hypertension and another 50 million adults suffer from prehypertension.
"The vast majority of the U.S. population is consuming sodium at levels that are simply too high to be safe," said Jane Henney, a professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati and the chair of the Institute of Medicine committee that wrote the report.
"This is an urgent public health problem," she said.
About 88 percent of the U.S population age 2 and older consumes more sodium each day than is recommended.
On average, Americans ingest about 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day, or about 1.5 teaspoons of salt.
Experts have said they should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams, or 1 teaspoon a day.
People older than 50 should ingest even less.
Lowering daily sodium intake even further, to 1,500 milligrams, would prevent more than 100,000 deaths a year and save billions in medical costs, Dr. Henney said.
The new recommendations would reduce sodium content and consumption incrementally without sacrificing flavor that consumers love.
If it's done correctly over the course of several years, most people won't even notice the change in their diets, Dr. Henney said.
Under the Institute of Medicine plan, acceptable sodium levels set by the FDA would vary by food groups such as meats, breads and grains, beverages, soups, and condiments.
Since most dietary salt is consumed through prepared meals and processed or packaged foods, the recommendations are directed at food manufacturers and food-preparation industries.
The report calls for increasing FDA staff and funding to implement the changes and monitor compliance with the new initiative.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the world's leading food and beverage companies, applauded the proposal and said the food industry had been working for several years to reduce sodium in products and provide consumers with healthier food choices.
The National Restaurant Association praised the proposal's incremental approach, saying consumers would suffer if drastic recipe changes were mandated quickly.
"Without customer acceptance, there will be no measurable change in consumer behavior," said Scott DeFife, the association's executive vice president.
Lori Roman, the president of the Salt Institute, which represents salt producers, bashed the proposal, saying it ignored the medical benefits of salt for some people.
Ms. Roman said the FDA should conduct clinical trials before implementing the plan.
"They're talking about limiting sodium for an entire population, and there's no clinical evidence to support that, and they have refused to do randomized clinical trials to get the support and scientific evidence they would need to take such drastic measures," Ms. Roman said.
Dr. Henney said no timetable had been set for implementing the changes and that it would take years to carry out fully.