The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is accepting comments on draft dietary reference values for sodium and chloride. The draft values deem 2 grams of sodium and 3.1 grams of chloride per day to be “safe and adequate, considering evidence on the risk of cardiovascular disease on the one hand and nutrition adequacy on the other.” EFSA will accept comments until May 7, 2019.
Tag Archives salt/sodium
A plaintiff has filed two putative class actions alleging the manufacturers of “organic salt" violate consumer-protection laws against deceptive advertising because salt is an inorganic mineral that “cannot be identified as organic” pursuant to the National Organic Program. Garcia v. HimalaSalt-Sustainable Sourcing, LLC, No. 18-7410 (C.D. Cal., filed August 23, 2018); Garcia v. Frontier Natural Prods. Coop., No. 18-7457 (C.D. Cal., filed August 24, 2018). In both complaints, the plaintiff alleges that she paid a premium for the products—HimalaSalt's Himalayan salt and Simply Organic's flavored salts—because she believed them to be "more healthful than regular salt." Claiming violations of California’s consumer-protection statutes, the plaintiff seeks class certification, injunctive relief, restitution, damages and attorney’s fees in both cases.
In a speech at the National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reportedly summarized the agency’s plans, including (i) defining “healthy” for use with a food-labeling icon, (ii) implementing delayed updates to nutrition labels, and (iii) creating a strategy for reduction in salt consumption. Gottlieb reportedly said FDA will explore possible changes to nutrient-content claims. “People eat foods, not nutrients,” he is quoted as saying. “This is why we’re asking the important question of whether a modernized definition of ‘healthy’ should go beyond nutrients to better reflect dietary patterns and food groups, like whole grains, lowfat dairy, fruits and vegetables and healthy oils.” FDA will also propose short-term, voluntary targets for salt and sodium reduction from the current average daily intake of 3,400 milligrams to no more than 3,000 milligrams. “There remains no single more effective public health action related to…
Responding to pressure from health groups, the government and consumer demand, food companies have been reducing levels of sugar and salt in their foods, the Washington Post reports, but levels of saturated fats in the updated recipes for these reduced-salt or -sugar foods have surged. The Post cites a November 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that purportedly found a significant rise in saturated fats in four of the five food categories examined—cereals, yogurts, snacks and frozen/refrigerated meals showed increases, although candy did not—while the same categories largely showed decreases in salt and sugar. Food scientists who formulate products with reduced sugar and salt told the Post that decreasing one nutrient often results in increases for others to account for the weight and volume lost, especially when less of the replacement ingredient is required, such as the use of stevia to replace sugar. The author of the USDA report speculated that the rise…
The Scottish Government is seeking public comment on a consultation that proposes actions to improve diet and reduce obesity in Scotland. The government previously announced funding of more than $55 million over five years to limit the marketing of food high in fat, sugar and salt and provide weight-loss support for people with type 2 diabetes. The consultation, which is open through January 31, 2018, asks questions about promotions and marketing, “out of home” or restaurant eating, labeling, product reformulation and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages or similar products. Scotland is also considering proposals to limit “junk food” advertising and provide support for small and mid-sized food manufacturers to reformulate and develop healthier products.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for "a Label on Processed Meat and Poultry Products Warning the Public that Frequent Consumption May Increase the Risk of Colorectal Cancer." Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer's finding that smoked, salted and/or cured bacon, hot dogs, ham, sausages and similar products are "carcinogenic to humans," CSPI argues that epidemiological studies backed by "mechanistic evidence" support the alleged link between processed meat and an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The group also points to similar conclusions drawn by the World Cancer Research Fund International, American Institute for Cancer Research, Imperial College London and the American Cancer Society, the latter of which "advises the public to 'minimize consumption of processed meats such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs' based on evidence that the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 15…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a November 4, 2016, report titled "Tackling food marketing to children in a digital world: trans-disciplinary perspectives," which urges policymakers “to reduce children’s exposure to all forms of marketing for foods high in fats, salt and sugars [HFSS], including via digital media.” In particular, the report claims digital marketing campaigns take advantage of regulatory loopholes to amplify the traditional media advertising of HFSS foods, “achieving greater ad attention and recall, greater brand awareness and more positive brand attitudes, greater intent to purchase and higher product sales.” The report calls attention to the privacy issues that purportedly surround the digital marketing of foods to children, including the collection and use of geo-location and personal data. It also warns that “some food chains partner with gaming companies in order to, for example, make the chain’s restaurants important game locations,” while other advertisers reportedly rely on advergames, social…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the public comment periods for draft guidance “that provides practical, voluntary sodium reduction targets for the food industry.” Titled ‘‘Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals: Target Mean and Upper Bound Concentrations for Sodium in Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods,” the guidance sets short- and long-term sodium targets for the following food categories: (i) cheese; (ii) fats, oils and dressings; (iii) fruits, vegetables and legumes; (iv) nuts and seeds; (v) soups; (vi) sauces, gravies, dips, condiments and seasonings; (vii) cereals; (viii) bakery products; (ix) meat and poultry; (x) fish and other seafood; (xi) snacks; (xii) sandwiches; (xiii) mixed ingredient dishes; (xiv) salads; (xv) other combination foods; and (xvi) baby/toddler foods. The agency will now accept comments pertaining to the food categories and two-year salt reduction goals until October 17, 2016. The comment period for the 10-year targets as well as feedback on technical…
A New York appeals court has reportedly vacated a February 2016 order that stayed enforcement of New York City’s regulation requiring chain restaurants with more than 15 locations to post warning icons on menus next to items with more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium. The ruling allows enforcement to begin on June 6, 2016, with violators subject to $200 fines. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) won an emergency stay on February 29, one day before the regulation’s scheduled March 1 enforcement date. Details about the NRA’s lawsuit challenging the regulation appear in Issues 586, 595 and 596 of this Update. See Reuters, May 26, 2016. Issue 606
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published draft guidance “that provides practical, voluntary sodium reduction targets for the food industry.” Titled ‘‘Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals: Target Mean and Upper Bound Concentrations for Sodium in Commercially Processed, Packaged, and Prepared Foods,” the guidance sets short- and long-term sodium targets for the following food categories: (i) cheese; (ii) fats, oils and dressings; (iii) fruits, vegetables and legumes; (iv) nuts and seeds; (v) soups; (vi) sauces, gravies, dips, condiments and seasonings; (vii) cereals; (viii) bakery products; (ix) meat and poultry; (x) fish and other seafood; (xi) snacks; (xii) sandwiches; (xiii) mixed ingredient dishes; (xiv) salads; (xv) other combination foods; and (xvi) baby/toddler foods. “Our goal is to promote gradual, efficient voluntary reduction of overall sodium content using effective and sustainable strategies that maintain other measures of nutritional quality,” states the agency in its guidance. “The extent and speed of reduction will…
