NYC to push for high-salt warnings
Call it a salt shocker. Did you know that many sandwiches and menu items — on their own — contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, or about a teaspoon, which is the daily recommended amount?
Consider these sodium-laden taste treats:
Panera Bread’s Italian combo sandwich has 2,830 milligrams of sodium.
At Subway, a foot-long spicy Italian sub has 2,980 milligrams of sodium.
And at TGI Fridays, the sesame jack chicken strips contain 2,700 milligrams of sodium, while the rack of baby back ribs contains 3,010 milligrams.
Now New York City, which has a history of introducing measures to improve the nutrition of its residents and visitors, is poised to take a further step by highlighting the large amounts of sodium in many restaurant meals.
The city’s health department on Wednesday proposed at a meeting of the Board of Health that all chain restaurants add a salt-shaker-like symbol on menus next to products that contain more than the recommended daily limit.
If the city Board of Health votes to consider the proposal, a final vote could come as soon as September and the warnings by December.
The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day; only about one in 10 Americans meets the 1 teaspoon guideline.
The city wants to help fight cardiovascular disease and make it easier for customers to make healthier choices, New York City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said. Consuming too much sodium raises blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
“We have the overall goal at the health department that we want to reduce premature mortality,” she told USA TODAY.
New York will be the first city to suggest a sodium warning. Restaurants in the city have been required to list the calorie content since 2008.
If passed, the proposal would affect eateries with 15 establishments or more, along with some movie theaters and concession stands.