April 18, 2012: What if they took the excess salt away?

In an article posted by CNN, “Why is fast food saltier in the US?” found at http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/17/health/salt-fast-food/index.html, a study was cited published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, where researchers analyzed the posted nutritional information for more than 2,000 items sold in multiple countries by the world’s six largest fast-food chains: Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Subway. What they found was that overall, fast food tended to be saltier in the United States than in the other countries included in the study: Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the UK. What’s more, the sodium content of the same menu items at the same chains varied by country, sometimes widely.

A key take-away point for me was, “the study findings show that limitations in food-processing technology are not a barrier to providing lower-sodium products, as the food industry has claimed”.

If technology isn’t the barrier, then what is it that prevents many food manufacturers and restaurants from taking steps to lower sodium content of their foods? I wonder if it wouldn’t be a case similar to what happened when people found out about “pink slime” in their ground beef. My local butcher is selling significantly more fresh ground beef as people choose not to take the chance that they may eat “pink slime” when purchasing ground beef at the grocery store.

Will taking away the excess sodium expose the poor quality and taste of  fast food? If so, if people stop eating so much fast food then what happens to corporate profits? Is this what the food manufacturers and restaurants are most afraid will happen when people learn what underlies that salty taste they’ve been trained to crave and to which they just may be “addicted”.

I don’t eat and don’t care for excess salted food and rarely eat out. However when dining out with friends or family, I always request my food to be unseasoned, unsalted and without sauces or dressings. This has been an eye opening experience in finding out which restaurants focus on quality ingredients versus which ones are hiding poor quality food behind salt and seasoned sauces.

I truly believe that if more people find out about the poor quality food being served in the US, there will be a demand for more quality, healthy ingredients which will contribute to our better overall quality of health.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

– Ask your favorite restaurant to lower the salt content in their menu items.

– Ask for your food to be unseasoned, unsalted, and without dressings or sauces.

– Only patronize restaurants which will offer lower sodium options and where you find the food beneath the salt is   truly healthy and of good quality.

– Try to cook whole foods at home whenever possible, using fresh or dried flavorful herbs to season the food.

February 9, 2012: American Heart Month – Focus on Sodium in CDC Vital Signs

For past blog entries go to SalTrax.com at http://saltrax.com/blog1/

February is American Heart Month and it’s a great time to share the latest research and information about heart disease and stroke prevention. The newest edition of CDC Vital Signs focuses on excessive sodium in the American diet and the top 10 types of foods most responsible for it.

Visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Sodium/

Some key points of the CDC Vital Signs report on sodium include:

• 9 in 10 Americans aged 2 years and older eat too much sodium.
• 44% of the sodium we eat comes from just 10 types of foods.
• 65% of sodium we eat comes from foods sold in grocery stores.
• 25% of sodium we eat comes from foods served in restaurants.
• Too much sodium can raise high blood pressure and increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
• 800,000 people die each year from heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases.

A key point that is very important to remember: most of the sodium we eat comes from food sold in grocery stores and in restaurants, and not what is added at the table. Sodium is already part of processed foods and cannot be removed. To address this, a comprehensive approach that involves public awareness about dietary guidelines for daily sodium consumption, food manufacturers and restaurants implementing steps to lower sodium in the foods they produce and sell and consumers comparing sodium in foods to choose lower sodium items is needed.

Reducing sodium content of the 10 leading food sources by 25 percent would lower total dietary sodium by more than 10 percent.

What YOU can do:

• Choose to purchase healthy options and talk with your grocer or favorite restaurant about stocking lower sodium food choices.
• Read the Nutrition Facts label while shopping to find the lowest sodium options of your favorite foods.
• Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen fruits and vegetables without sauce.
• Limit processed foods high in sodium.
• When eating out, request lower sodium options.
• Support initiatives that reduce sodium in foods in cafeterias and vending machines.