National Salt Reduction Initiative
Today I am flying the Ft Moultrie Flag, this is a patriot flag I fly when there is “Liberty-Risky” discussion. A perfect example of “good intentions” translating to “government control” is the National Salt Reduction Initiative. One “Progressive Baby Step” at a time, the USA creeps toward Socialism, control of individuals by the government with a subsequent loss of personal freedoms and liberties … under the premise that the government must protect us from ourselves. The latest is the move “voluntary” reduction of salt. But look closely, there is little “personal choice” … the choice is being made for you by manufacturers who are playing into the hands of the progressives. Watch the NSRI grow, fanned by good intentions … and watch your personal choice (liberty and freedom) continue to erode.
The “Good Intention”
Cutting Salt, Improving Health (NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene)
The New York City Health Department is coordinating a national effort to prevent heart attacks and strokes by reducing the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant foods. Americans consume roughly twice the recommended limit of salt each day – causing widespread high blood pressure and placing millions at risk of heart attack and stroke. This is not a matter of choice. Only 11% of the sodium in our diets comes from our own salt shakers; nearly 80% is added to foods before they are sold. The National Salt Reduction Initiative is a coalition of cities, states and health organizations working to help food manufacturers and restaurants voluntarily reduce the amount of salt in their products. The goal is to reduce Americans’ salt intake by 20% over five years. This will save tens of thousands of lives each year and billions of dollars in health care costs. The IOM recently released two reports recognizing the value of coordinated voluntary action to reduce population salt intake.
The Data to Prove the Premise
The American Heart Association and the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a national collaboration led by the City of New York, share a common goal – to gradually lower the amount of sodium (salt) in the American diet.
“Lowering sodium is essential to reversing the trend of more Americans developing high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” said Nancy Brown, the chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Adjusting our taste preferences, food manufacturing and marketing methods isn’t easy – but efforts such as National Salt Reduction Initiative are steps in the right direction. These efforts are to be commended as an important first step toward significant sodium reduction in the food supply,” Brown said.
Excess sodium in the diet is strongly linked to the development of high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The vast majority of Americans are consuming sodium at levels that are too high to be considered safe.
The Government gets involved …
The Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to gradually reduce the salt consumed each day by Americans, saying that less sodium in everything from soup to nuts would prevent thousands of deaths from hypertension and heart disease. The initiative, to be launched this year, would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products.
The government intends to work with the food industry and health experts to reduce sodium gradually over a period of years to adjust the American palate to a less salty diet, according to FDA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the initiative had not been formally announced.
Officials have not determined the salt limits. In a complicated undertaking, the FDA would analyze the salt in spaghetti sauces, breads and thousands of other products that make up the $600 billion food and beverage market, sources said. Working with food manufacturers, the government would set limits for salt in these categories, designed to gradually ratchet down sodium consumption. The changes would be calibrated so that consumers barely notice the modification.
The legal limits would be open to public comment, but administration officials do not think they need additional authority from Congress.
The Government expands the idea …
Attorneys for the federal government have argued in a lawsuit pending in federal court in Iowa that individuals have no “fundamental right” to obtain what food they choose.
The brief was filed April 26 in support of a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the interstate sale of raw milk.
“There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds,” states the document signed by U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose, assistant Martha Fagg and Roger Gural, trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Then it happens … “Choice” is gone.
NYPost For the first time in 40 years, Heinz ketchup is changing its famous recipe — by lowering the salt content in an effort to appeal to more health-conscious consumers, the company said yesterday.
Company officials have taste tested the new blend and believe it will be as popular as their old recipe, which has a 60 percent share of the ketchup market.
The Bottom Line
See the Progressive Baby Steps? … one “good intention at a time, a little expansion, a little more control, then it happens… your choice is gone!
My Salt Disclaimer: I’m Watching My Personal Salt Intake … I certainly watch my salt intake. I don’t “deny” myself salt, but I do avoid those foods that have an overabundance of salt in them. I read the label, I weigh the risks, and I decide to buy the product then I make a final personal decision to either eat the food or not. The key component to this logic is the word “I”. This is about educating myself, making my own choices and making my own decisions. I fully agree with the studies showing the relationship between salt and cardiovascular disease. I am not doubting those studies and I am making personal decisions because of that data. It is MY CHOICE to seek the data, MY CHOICE to believe it or not, MY CHOICE to act upon the data for MY personal well-being.
NANNY STATE ALERT! But those who know the American public is too stupid to protect itself from the evils of salt, will “help” them and regulate their salt intake for them. Once again, the government decides they know what is best for us and will control it “for us.”
I welcome the data on salt, I welcome the studies and find them interesting and informative. I DO NOT welcome government regulation into the food industry “to protect me” from myself. If you follow the recent history of such initiatives, the next step will be to “tax” foods with high salt content. It’s an old tactic, still used today. “They” don’t want you to smoke, they add $5 tax to a $1 pack of cigarettes. So you can see the “end game” easily. Watch “sugar” to be next. “They” are already discussing taxes on sugar content.
I reject the fact that “they” want to control me. I can take care of myself, I do not need the government making personal decisions for me.
Recent Posts and Updates
- Big Shakeup for Ketchup (NYPost 05.10)
