We have used to add a pinch of salt into the food we prepare. Salt enhances the flavor of food. It adds sodium which is an essential nutrient to our body. But there is always a limit for sodium intake as suggested by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recommended amount is 2300 milligrams per day. But usually, daily consumption reaches higher than the amount. 70 percent of the consuming salt amount comes from commercial food production and commercial food preparation.
The FDA has introduced a new guideline on sodium in food. All the commercial food-producing countries must follow them.
Americans consume too much salt. It leads to several risks including high blood pressure. As a result, heart attacks, kidney failures, and strokes are common among people. The high blood pressure percentage is high among Americans.
The young generation also faces problems due to excessive salt consumption. The health sector of America has also been alarmed by the increase in salt consumption among the young generation. It leads to the elevation of sodium levels in the body. The investigations reveal 95% of children that belong to the age group between 2 to 3 are experiencing bad consumption habits including high sodium consumption. Normally, childhood eating habits directly affect later health outcomes. So the new generation is facing a huge problem.
The FDA guideline applies to 163 categories of processed and packaged food. It offers different targets for rye bread, baby food, and salad dressing. The RDA guideline contains scores of the most common dishes served by restaurants that include tacos, cheesy pasta, and french fries.
What is the purpose of using sodium?
Salt is added to processed food to make it more delicious. One of the main purposes of adding salt is preserving food. It makes food shelf-stable. Salt has antimicrobial properties also. It adds flavor to food without altering the level of calories. But keep in mind, too much of anything is good for nothing.
How to reduce sodium intake?
When taking sodium out of food, it undergoes changes in taste, safety, and shelf-life. Many types of research show that it is difficult to reduce the salt content of processed food. Now, people are addicted to taste. The salt amount needs to be reduced uniformly with time. As an example, you can’t directly reduce the salt content in potato chips without reducing the salt content in soup, peanuts, and frozen dinners. The new guideline will help companies and restaurants to more attention to salt added to food.
To Sum Up
According to the FDA, lowering sodium intake by 40% over ten years has resulted in saving of 500 000 lives. So the new FDA guidelines try to serve the lives of people from excess consumption of salt. Many scholars emphasize the benefit of guidance given on the reduction of sodium. It has been launched after years. Most of the reputed food processing companies have not shared their thoughts on the new guideline on sodium issued by FDA.
