Salt reduction in the United States

In June 2006, the American Medical Association catapulted its salt policy into the headlines. In a bold step the association's membership voted to implement several strategies to reduce salt intake. The members voted (a) to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status of salt and develop regulatory measures limiting the amount of salt in processed and restaurant foods; (b) to establish quantifiable milestones, specifically a 50% reduction over the next decade, in the salt content of processed foods, fastfood products, and restaurant meals; (c) to join in partnership with organisations to educate consumers about the benefits of long term salt reduction; and (d) to work with the FDA to improve food labelling and develop warning labels for foods high in salt. The association's decision to advocate salt reduction follows a recent series of reports in the United States recommending sharp reductions in salt …