Last week, we reported that the FDA is changing the way sugar is called out on all food and beverage labels to make it more clear. Now, the FDA is tackling salt after announcing a new set of recommendations to be set forth to help Americans decrease their salt intake. Too much salt not only makes your face puffy and under-eyes look swollen but it can also lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.
The agency will have new guidelines for major manufacturers and restaurants to reduce salt in food with goals set for two years and 10 years. Companies such as Campbells, General Mills and Kraft are already meeting or working to meet the 2 year goals, which will decrease salt intake levels by 1,000 mg per day. Currently, Americans consume on average 3,400mg of salt a day. The goal is to get that number to 2,300mg.
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The guidelines set forth salt reduction for just about everything—there will be 150 different categories that foods can fall into. Each category—for example, salad dressings or bread—will have different reduction targets to meet.
The most common culprits of high salt levels: processed and prepackaged foods. And, you don’t have to add table salt to your food to be consuming it—it’s in almost everything you eat. You’re better off sticking with fresh fruits, vegetables and protein sources, which have far less of the offending ingredient in them.
