Public health advocates on Thursday called for tighter restrictions on salt content in food, arguing that cutting the nutrient's overuse by most Americans could save thousands of lives annually.

Excessive salt in Americans' diets is a major factor in high blood pressure and increases risk for heart disease, while most Americans exceed recommended limits, according to health experts. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) cited these factors in urging stricter regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at a public hearing, held on Thursday at the FDA.

Trimming the salt content in processed and restaurant foods by half could save up to 150,000 lives a year by reducing heart-related disease, according to the consumer group, whose petition to the FDA prompted the public hearing.

"I am sure no one would tolerate so many deaths from airline crashes, so why tolerate it from food?" Dr. Stephen Havas, vice president for science and public health at the American Medical Association, said.

The CSPI, backed by several public health groups, wants the FDA to beef up labeling, require manufacturers to cut salt in packaged foods, and revoke salt's "generally recognized as safe" status, subjecting it to stricter regulations as a food additive.

The FDA, which has not considered the issue since 1982, now now uses labeling to inform the public about salt, and approves claims such as "low sodium."

"It is really a good time to be having this meeting," Laura Tarantino, director of the FDA's food safety office said, citing increased research and regulatory changes in other countries.

The American Heart Association advises adults to limit daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams, or about one teaspoon. The average American consumes about 3,300 milligrams per day, according to government data.

The group backs moving nutrient labeling to the front of packaging and stricter limits for claims like "low sodium." This would give manufacturers an incentive to cut added salt, it said.

The bulk of sodium in modern diets comes from processed foods like frozen dinners and condiments. One frozen chicken teriyaki dinner, or one small can of Bloody Mary mix, contains a full day's worth of sodium, said Michael Jacobson, executive director of CSPI.

"Clearly, salt should be considered generally recognized as dangerous, not safe," Jacobson said.

MANDATES

The Grocery Manufacturers Association favors keeping the current regime, arguing that cutting salt too much turns off consumers because of bland taste. It also said studies on health risk have not been rigorous enough.

"Salt has been used safely in foods since antiquity," said Robert Earl, senior director for nutrition policy at the Grocery Manufacturers of America, the food industry trade group. Others said they might support incremental changes. For example, to get a label for a "reduced sodium" claim now, industry must cut sodium by 25 percent against a reference food.

If companies could get a claim by trimming sodium by just 10 percent, that could be an incentive to make gradual reductions, Kathy Wiemer of the General Mills Inc (GIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition said.

That also would make it easier on consumers to get used to the taste of less salt, she added.

Public health advocates, though, said voluntary measures have not worked for decades, as salt consumption has risen steadily in the U.S., and with it, heart-related diseases. "These will continue to be ineffective without mandating lower levels of sodium in food products," Richard Kahn, chief scientific and medical officer of The American Diabetes Association said.

Britain adopted an aggressive labeling system including front-of-package labeling, and it has been successful in moving the industry to change, several experts said.

For example, several of McDonald's Corp. (MCD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) products in Britain contain nearly half the amount of sodium as similar products in the United States, according to Jacobson.

"Americans don't consume large amounts of salt because they request it, but often do so unknowingly because manufacturers and restaurants put it in," AMA's Havas said.

公共健康署星期四提倡更严格地限制食物中盐的含量，声称由于减少大多数美国人过度使用的营养品，每年可拯救了上千美国人的生命。

根据健康专家的统计，大多数美国人超出建议极限，美国人食物中过多的盐是导致高血压和增加心脏病风险的一个主要因素。公共利益科学中心（CSPI）在星期四ＰＤＡ举行的公开聆讯中，引用这些因素以力劝美国食品和药品管理局采取更严格的规定。

根据消费群体在ＦＤＡ举行的公开聆讯上的请愿书，调整加工食物和餐馆食物中的盐份到一半，以减少与心脏病有关的疾病，每年可以挽救高达１５万人的生命。

美国医药协会科学和公共健康副总裁Stephen Havas博士说，“我可以确信没有人可以容忍飞机失事造成的人员死亡，那么为什么要容忍由食物造成的死亡呢？”

公共利益科学中心（CSPI）由许多公共健康群体支持，希望ＦＤＡ加强标签，要求生产商减少包装食品的盐分，废除一般认为盐是安全的评价，使之和食品添加剂一样服从于更严格的规定。

自１９８２年以来，ＦＤＡ一直没有考虑这项议题，现在采用标签的方式来告诉公众关于盐的危害，并通过了如“低钠”的主张。

ＦＤＡ食品安全办公室主任Laura Tarantino引用其它国家增加的研究和控制说，“召开这样的会议正是时候”。

美国心脏(病)协会建议成人每天的钠摄入量少于２３００毫克。根据政府的数据，美国的平均数为每天３３００毫克。　

该群体将包装上的营养标签从后面移动到前面并精确限定如“低钠”的主张。他说，这将给生产商带来减少额外盐分的动机。

现代食品的钠含量来自加工食物，如冷冻食品和调味品。一份冻鸡红烧正餐，或一小听血腥玛丽预伴汁就含有一天所需的钠量，CSPI的执行董事Michael Jacobson 如是说。

Jacobson说，“很清楚的是，盐应该被当作一般是危险的，而不是安全的。”

要求

食品生产协会支持保持现有的制度，争辩说过多地减少盐会使消费者由于淡而无味而产生厌烦。他们还说对于健康风险的研究并不是足够严格。

美国食品生产，食品产业贸易团体的营养政策高级主任Robert Earl说：“自古以来，食品中盐的使用一直是安全的”。其他人说他们也许会支持增加的变化。例如，现在为了得到一张“减少的钠”的标签，食品工业必须对照一种参考食品来减少25%的钠。“如果业界只要减少10%的钠就可以得到一张标签，这将成为一种对逐渐减少钠的激励。”通用磨坊公司（GIS.N: 引述、概况、研究）贝尔健康和营养研究所的Kathy Wiemer如是说。

她补充说：“这样也能搞让消费者容易适应少盐的味道。”

尽管，公共健康提倡，说几十年来自愿性的措施都没有奏效，而美国的食盐消费量一直稳步增长，伴随着的是与心脏病有关的疾病也增长了。美国糖尿病协会的行政科学和医药人员Richard Kahn 说：“这些将持续成为无效的，没有强制低钠的食品。”

英国采用一种积极的标签系统包括将包装标签放在前面，一些专家说，它已经成功地使业界发生变化。

根据Jacobson，例如，不少在英国的麦当劳公司的产品(MCD.N: 引述、概况、研究）和美国的同类食品相比只有近一半的钠含量。

美国医药协会的Havas 说：“因为美国人要求，所以他们不消费大量的盐，但通常在不知情的情况下消费，这是因为生产商和餐馆的添加。”