The Obama Administration released guidelines Wednesday urging Americans to rein in their salt intake.
According to a Food and Drug Administration press release, the guidelines provide “practical, voluntary sodium reduction targets for the food industry.”
“Many Americans want to reduce sodium in their diets, but that’s hard to do when much of it is in everyday products we buy in stores and restaurants,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell added. “Today’s announcement is about putting power back in the hands of consumers, so that they can better control how much salt is in the food they eat and improve their health.”
The guidelines stress that Americans consume 50 percent more sodium than the recommended daily average, despite efforts to abide by healthy diets.
“While a majority of Americans reports watching or trying to reduce added salt in their diets, the deck has been stacked against them,” the FDA explained. “The majority of sodium intake comes from processed and prepared foods, not the salt shaker.”
You can read the entire set of guidelines — and comment — on the FDA’s website.