Eat less salt

Food experts in the USA are asking the government to make new salt laws. America’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit the amount of salt put in food. This would affect how food manufacturers and restaurants prepare their food. The institute believes America’s love affair with salt must end. It says Americans consume far too much salt, which is leading to too many health problems. The IOM says salt intake is the same as it was decades ago, despite many health drives to get people to use less. Its report says: “''If you look at salt intake over a number of decades, it has not gone down despite a number of efforts and it is still at a very high level.” Its main recommendation is to set standards for safe levels of salt in food. Not everyone is happy with the IOM’s request. Lori Roman, head of America’s Salt Institute, said the IOM’s recommendations were “not scientifically sound". Roman, added: "They're talking about some very drastic reductions. They could be harming people.” Gary Howard, a spokesman for the Campaign for Liberty group also agreed the IOM was going too far, saying: "It's another [attack] on people's personal freedom." Supporters of the bill say America’s health must come first. Lowering salt could reduce high blood pressure and improve the well-being of hundreds of thousands of people. High blood pressure affects a third of U.S. adults, or around 75 million people. It also increases the risks of having heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.