Throwing the Book at Salt

The New York Times ^ | JANUARY 28, 2009 | KIM SEVERSON and GRANT JUNKIE

[Eric Blair 2084]

DR. THOMAS R. FRIEDEN invited some of the biggest names in food processing to lunch last October. Grilled salmon and green salad were on the menu, but the subject was salt.

After a string of victories over smoking, trans fats and calories, Dr. Frieden, the commissioner of New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is waging a new campaign: to lower the amount of sodium America eats.

But don’t go hiding your saltshakers. The city isn’t going after the seasoning people add at the table or in the kitchen. That makes up only about 11 percent of the salt people eat, Dr. Frieden says.

His targets are packaged foods and mass-produced restaurant meals, which contribute 80 percent of the sodium in the average American diet.

When the food company executives had finished lunch, Dr. Frieden made his pitch: Over the next five years, identify the foods that are contributing the most sodium to people’s diets and cut the level of salt by 25 percent. In a decade, cut it by another 25 percent. And do it in unison with your competitors.

If they refuse?

“If there’s not progress in a few years, we’ll have to consider other options, like legislation,” he said in an interview last week.

[Eric Blair 2084]

If they don't comply voluntarily, they will wake up with a bloody horse's head next to them in bed tomorrow.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Smoke Nazi, Food Police, Socialism, Collectivism

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Preamble:

We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, teetotalers, insure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

[the invisib1e hand]

a robust economy can handle a bit of insanity. But I fear that mass insanity will do it in.

[the invisib1e hand]

very creative contribution to the solution, once again.

[goodnesswins]

I’m more concerned about SUGAR! Like the sugar they stick in CANNED vegetables. How stupid is that!

[CIDKauf]

Hey Eric...move to Colorado and I’ll take you skiing and to a hockey game! We less sheepled than you!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Touch my salt shaker and die.

Salt is a NECESSARY component to life.

[allmost]

Eventually we can change the planets name to Trantor and live off of deliciously processed yeast and algae. Issac Asimov might not be so far off...

[Eric Blair 2084]

This is what we are headed for. Lib states and cities (God forbid, country) are broke. They are reaching for straws to control the out of control Medicaid and Medicare expenses that they promised.

If you can’t cut spending, you can try to socially engineer a behavior modification program to reduce your costs.

It won’t work. They will still be broke, but they are desperate. Socialism doesn’t work. The USSR banned Vodka in 1996 towards the end too.

[swmobuffalo]

Personally I’d be more than happy to have the amount of sodium in foods reduced at the factory level. It’s just insane the amount added to some things.

[Eric Blair 2084]

You know it’s funny, I used to ski in Bormio, Italy because it was cheaper than going to Colorado back in the 90’s pre-Euro.

Colorado has the smoker bans too. Did you ever see the South Park episode Butt Out?

[Eric Blair 2084]

You don’t have to buy the crap. It is or used to be a free country.

[6SJ7]

“If there’s not progress in a few years, we’ll have to consider other options, like legislation,” he said in an interview last week.

Translation: "Nice little business you got here. Be a shame if somthin' should happen to it."

[headstamp 2]

These must be those liberals that are always screaming about freedom.

Except when the “wrong” people are pursuing it.

[mtrott]

The problem with it is that it is just a waste of time and money and won’t work anyway. If people don’t think something tastes good due to not enough salt, they’ll just add salt. They are not going to eat tasteless food.

[AFreeBird]

“If there’s not progress in a few years, we’ll have to consider other options, like legislation,” he said in an interview last week.

It seems there's a tyrant on every corner these days.

That being said; there are differing salt requirements for different people, under a multitude of circumstances. Some politician telling people otherwise is not part of their job description.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

You need to add EUGENICS to the list. :)

[Eric Blair 2084]

Ve have vays of making you stop adding salt. Don’t mess with us.

[thefrankbaum]

The USSR banned Vodka in 1996 towards the end too.

The USSR banned Vodka in 1996? Really?

[Eric Blair 2084]

Eugenics.....Our only hope is that libs voluntarily take themselves out of the gene pool by killing their offspring and that conservatives are fruitful and multiply.