Roommates, I know you all love good food! When food is delicious, fresh and seasoned to perfection, it shines. Food choices will determine how healthy your food is when you think about calories and sodium. Although salt adds flavor, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to make drastic changes to protect everyone by reducing salt intake.
The FDA is asking food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce salt in their products over the next 2.5 years. This drastic change hopes to reduce total sodium intake in America by 12%, according to NBC News. This will reduce it by 3,000 mg per day, equivalent to consuming 60 teaspoons of salt per year. The guide was announced on Wednesday and is expected to cover a wide variety of foods. From meals in chain restaurants to processed food on grocery store shelves, which even includes baby food.
Dr. Janet Wooddock, acting FDA commissioner, said: “What we would like to see is for the food industry to gradually reduce its sodium content.” According to reports, Dr. Wooddock’s goal is to reduce the incidence of heart disease. who are the number one killer in the country. She also said that reducing sodium in the diet would ultimately “have a big impact on hypertension, heart disease and stroke.”
Current dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, which is equivalent to about one teaspoon of salt. However, the FDA says the average person in the United States consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium a day from processed foods, not from table salt.
The FDA has been working on this change for some time. Wednesday’s recommendation finalized the agency’s interim guidelines in 2016 on the number of salty companies to add to food, although the food industry ignored the guidelines. It is unclear what action will be taken to see if companies follow the instructions or impose sanctions on those who do not.
The FDA has addressed concerns, saying it plans to monitor the industry in the coming years. The reports also indicate that they can reward companies that comply, but have not indicated whether they will take action against companies that do not reduce sodium.
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