Despite challenges from the scientific community, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg remains undaunted in his efforts to force New Yorkers to cut down on their salt intake. His latest maneuver announced on Monday was to persuade 16 food manufacturers and food service vendors—among them Starbucks, Heinz, and Subway—to agree to reduce the salt content in their products by 25 percent.
“The National Salt Reduction Initiative has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives that otherwise would be lost to
Bloomberg's embattled comrade in arms, City Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley, boasted that New York is leading the way to nationwide salt reduction. "Reducing salt intake," he noted, "has been a public health priority for decades. We can now say we are taking the first steps to achieve it."
Now if only Bloomberg and Farley can somehow jerryrig the science to support their claims. According to a report published in last November's Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the need to restrict salt content in food is questionable at best. The report compiled by researchers at the University of California at Davis cited several studies that show that adults “naturally seek” to regulate their own salt intake. “To attempt to use public policy to abrogate human physiology would be futile and possibly harmful to human health” the report stated.
Other concerns are being voiced by consumer advocacy groups. One of them, the Center for Consumer Freedom, has complained that Bloomberg's initiative is intrusive and infringes on personal liberties. Here in New York, a grassroots coalition, My Food My Choice, has organized a petition, which the group plans to deliver to City Hall in the hopes of persuading them to abandon their nanny-state tactics.
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After having been a loyal Heinz customer for 30 years I am through with the company. I will no longer eat at Subway either although this does not bother me so much because their sandwiches have always been inferior to Blimpies, Quiznos, Larrys, Jimmy Johns, etc. I am very angry about changes to the Heinz ketchup recipe though. This reminds me of the 1980s New Coke fiasco. I believe that the new ketchup is going to be awful. As of today I am permanently switching to buying Hunts...no more Heinz!
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