Regulations On Salt?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Health is a value the government imposes all the time. There is a reason nutrition facts are available. There is a reason that there are limits to the amount of bacteria in a food, concentration of certain carcinogens, ways food are processed etc.

Are all of these things bad?

I'm not saying regulate everything to make it super-healthy perfect food... if you want to be fat go for it. But something as simple as sodium restrictions, which can be directly changed by something as simply as re-adding it into the food yourself... I don't see a downside.

I guess you could add the "slippery slope" argument... but really...if it leads to a healthier diet for the country, what's really at stake here? Our God given rights to be fat and lazy? Defend it valiantly if you like, but I don't see the fat and lazy putting up much of a fight.

Yes slippery slope. One more step towards the bold point above. And taking sodium out just so people can put it back in seems silly.

A) Not all sodium added to food can be put back in and provide the same results.
B) And why not just limit how much salt people are allowed to buy at the same time if this is really a public health concern of the gov't?

I'm not arguing it is good for people. I'm arguing that people should be allowed tod ecide for themselves. It seems very many people don't care much. Why should the gov't then? Or more precisely why do I care what you eat? How does it affect me?

[celts32]

I think it's a good idea. We know salt is linked to health problems so why not try and make processed food companies use less of it. To me it aint that much different from when we determined that certain oils were more heart friendy then others. I am not sure if the govt forced it but eventually all processed food makers started using these other oils.

[FRPLG]

The other issue...totally ina different direction.

If the gov't limits salt then what happens? Either the food tastes "worse" and people buy less of it or the companies find something else to mimic the results. Most likely some chemical. Don't fool yourselves into thinking they'll make less tasty food for less of a profit. That isn't how business works. The solution to people eating crap food isn't to regulate crap food out of the market. (That can't really be done. It's a game of three-card-monte.) It's better education leading to culture change. That takes a long time and isn't nearly fast enough for progressives though apparently.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Who said anything about organic? It's called buying natural ingredients and learning to cook. It's also generally cheaper than processed food that is bad for you beyond just the salt.

I guess I didn't realize that processed food is another plight of the poor. We should all do what were told by the gov't so that poor people can avoid figuring out how to take some responsibility right? Sorry but I'm not buying that the gov't should regulate salt content of processed food because poor only buy processed food...or can only afford processed food.

If it isn't organic there is nothing natural about it. Cheaper? Certainly in some cases it is but I'm pretty for the most part it isn't true. TV dinner is cheaper than making your own food. Better off people eat better food because they can afford better food not simply because they know better...this is the reality of the world.

[RobH4413]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

The other issue...totally ina different direction.

If the gov't limits salt then what happens? Either the food tastes "worse" and people buy less of it or the companies find something else to mic the results. Most likely some chemical. Don't fool yourselves into thinking they'll make less tasty food for less of am profit. That isn't how business works. The solution to people eating crap food isn't to regulate crap food out of the market. (That can't really be done. It's a game of three-card-monte.) It's better education leading to culture change. That tales a long time and isn't nearly fast enough for progressives though apparently.

That's funny, I was in class when I was writing my last post, and walking between classes and thought exactly about the same thing. There will prob. be a chemical substitute.

As far as the taste difference, apparently the method for sodium reduction is a gradual decrease in sodium levels, making the taste less noticeable.

I know personally that since I've cut sodium out of my diet, something that used to be moderately salty tasting, now is offensively salty.

But yeah, you're probably right...they'll find something else.

Just for some perspective, here's the benefits of a slight decrease in sodium.

Study: Cutting salt intake would boost nation's health - CNN.com

I'm back in class so time to focus...

[Dogtag]

I'm on a low sodium controlled diet and I see everything wrong with this legislation. I can see a government role in educating the general public on the hazards of large salt intake, how they can be consuming salt without their direct knowledge, etc.

But legislation on the amount of salt that can be in a particular food product is going overboard in my opinion. I can be and am responsible for what food enters my body without the government's heavy legislative hand.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

The other issue...totally ina different direction.

If the gov't limits salt then what happens? Either the food tastes "worse" and people buy less of it or the companies find something else to mimic the results. Most likely some chemical. Don't fool yourselves into thinking they'll make less tasty food for less of a profit. That isn't how business works. The solution to people eating crap food isn't to regulate crap food out of the market. (That can't really be done. It's a game of three-card-monte.) It's better education leading to culture change. That takes a long time and isn't nearly fast enough for progressives though apparently.

No question, it's a battle that will require keeping up with these untoward corporations. Potassium is often substituted for Sodium....reduce the amount of that too I say.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by saden1

If it isn't organic there is nothing natural about it. Cheaper? Certainly in some cases it is but I'm pretty for the most part it isn't true. TV dinner is cheaper than making your own food. Better off people eat better food because they can afford better food not simply because they know better...this is the reality of the world.

Wanna bet? Meal for meal, yes. Made in bulk, no. My family hasn't eaten a processed meal in years and I am quite sure our budget is better off because of it. It's called a freezer and it works great for making food and then freezing it to have later. Now i will buy that processed foods are easier and faster. That can make them more attractive to lower income households headed by parents working their asses off to make ends meat. I'm still not quite sure that the gov't regulating salt is the right way to go though.

And by organic I meant those things listed as "organic" which tend to cost more. There is a clear difference in the market between organic and natural. Organic potatoes cost 30% more than just regular potatoes. I'm damn sure you're smart enough to have known that when you typed organic. I'm wondering why you seem to be arguing as if you didn't?

edit: it's a semantics argument and really irrelevant though.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

That's funny, I was in class when I was writing my last post, and walking between classes and thought exactly about the same thing. There will prob. be a chemical substitute.

As far as the taste difference, apparently the method for sodium reduction is a gradual decrease in sodium levels, making the taste less noticeable.

I know personally that since I've cut sodium out of my diet, something that used to be moderately salty tasting, now is offensively salty.

But yeah, you're probably right...they'll find something else.

Just for some perspective, here's the benefits of a slight decrease in sodium.

Study: Cutting salt intake would boost nation's health - CNN.com

I'm back in class so time to focus...

They don't pack food with salt for taste, they do it for food preservation and their bottom line.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by saden1

They don't pack food with salt for taste, they do it for food preservation and their bottom line.

They do it for both.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

Do you think you personally should make a decision on buying food that is considered high in sodium or do you think the government should make that decision for you?

washingtonpost.com

I never choose the Government as the answer.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I can hear it now, "keep your gov't hands off my salt shaker!"

Seriously though, I don't see anything wrong with regulating the ridiculously high sodium content of processed food and even restaurant food.

DON'T TREAD ON MY SALT!

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Or instead of the govt regulating the salt content people could just not buy the processed foods.

Because that will happen.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Wanna bet? Meal for meal, yes. Made in bulk, no. My family hasn't eaten a processed meal in years and I am quite sure our budget is better off because of it. It's called a freezer and it works great for making food and then freezing it to have later. Now i will buy that processed foods are easier and faster. That can make them more attractive to lower income households headed by parents working their asses off to make ends meat. I'm still not quite sure that the gov't regulating salt is the right way to go though.

And by organic I meant those things listed as "organic" which tend to cost more. There is a clear difference in the market between organic and natural. Organic potatoes cost 30% more than just regular potatoes. I'm damn sure you're smart enough to have known that when you typed organic. I'm wondering why you seem to be arguing as if you didn't?

edit: it's a semantics argument and really irrelevant though.

You can't possibly beat me in terms of price if I'm eating pop-tarts (breakfest), ramen (lunch), and tv dinners all washed down with soda. No chance at all.

Organic food is natural food. If the chicken you buy at the grocery stores doesn't say organic it's probably packing something. That was my point in that all these "natural" foods you're talking about have something extra in them.

[tryfuhl]

Anyways, with all of the health care reform going on.. expect them to make more and more decisions which they believe will help the nation's health as a "whole." Let's just hope that there's follow-through with this and the food mfg's don't spring something crazy on us (as mentioned, a chemical solution if it hasn't been researched well enough).