Some NYC post: NYC Asks Food Manufacturers to Cut Salt Content

NYC

City health officials have battled trans fat and high-calorie fast food. Now, they're taking on salt.

The health department planned to release on Monday draft guidelines suggesting the maximum amount of salt that should be in a wide variety of manufactured and packaged foods.

The recommendations call for sizable reductions in the sodium content of many products, from a 20 percent drop in peanut butter to a 40 percent decline in the salt content of canned vegetables.

Unlike the city's recent ban on trans fat in restaurant food or rules implemented last year requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on their menus, this initiative is purely voluntary.

But even though there will be no penalties for companies that ignore the guidelines, health officials say they think some manufacturers may be motivated to make changes.

"They all fully recognize that sodium is a major health problem that they need to address," said the city's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley.

Seventeen national health organizations and 25 other city or state health agencies have joined with New York City in the effort, called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. It aims to reduce the average American's salt intake by 20 percent in five years.

Everyone needs some salt in his or her diet, but experts say Americans now eat about twice as much as they should. That can lead to problems including high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The guidelines suggest that manufacturers lower salt content gradually over several years so consumers won't notice, and they aren't asking for big changes in every category.

For example, under the city's standards, by 2014 no restaurant hamburger should contain more than 1,200 milligrams of salt. Nearly every burger sold by McDonald's already meets that guideline, although there are exceptions like the double quarter pounder with cheese, which has 1,380 milligrams of salt.

Thursdays trivia - NYC Restaurant grading system from the Department of Health

NYC

In an attempt to stifle food-borne illness, the New York City's Department of Health (DOH) is considering rating restaurants based on sanitary conditions. Each restaurant would be forced to display their grade of A, B, or C after inspection. The DOH claims that at this point only 30 percent of New York City restaurants would qualify for an A grade, 40 percent would get B's and 26 percent would receive Cs. Any establishment receiving a B or C grade would be subject to more inspections from the DOH. 

"When Los Angeles instituted a letter grading system, the proportion of restaurants meeting the highest food-safety standards rose from 40% to more than 80%," says New York Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. Complaints about tainted food in New York City have gone up in recent years. Food poisoning causes not only missed work and school time, but also accounts for 10,000 emergency room visits and 5,000 hospitalizations every year.

Currently the city inspects 24,000 restaurants a year to make sure they are compliance with the city's health code. The DOH feels that too many restaurants are only marginally compliant. The inspection process itself is not going to change, but letter grades are intended to help consumers make decisions before sitting down to a meal at a restaurant. 

The DOH is soliciting for public commentary on the matter and planning to vote on the measure this March.

Press Release NYC.gov