Archive for the ‘food industry’ tag
Sodium Levels in Processed Food
There have been some huge spikes in the sodium content of some processed foods. A 2008 study published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) shows that the average sodium content of over 500 processed and restaurant foods stayed around the same between 2005 and 2008.
On the other hand over 100 products increased sodium content by 5% or more and nearly 30 products increased by 30% or more.
Hardee’s French Fries tripled the amount of sodium in those three years; Walmart Cream Cheese almost doubled.
Sodium content in over 110 products declined in the same period.
The American Medical Association has asked the food industry to try and reduce sodium content by 50% over ten years. It is estimated that alone could saveup to 150,000 lives annually, or 1.5 million over ten years!
Only about 10% of the salt in processed foods is there naturally on average. The rest (90%) is added by the manufacturers. Most is common salt, but there is also MSG, and Sodium Nitrite.
FDA To Get More Muscle?
Following the outrageous case of the Georgia-based Peanut Corporation of America knowingly supplying salmonella-contaminated peanuts to the food industry, supermarkets and other retail outlets, which led to nine deaths and almost seven hundred cases of salmonella infections, lawmakers are now looking to do something that should have been done years ago.
Give the Food & Drug Administration more muscle.
The new legislation proposed by a Senate bill, would allow the FDA access to food company records and test results, and give it the power to order mandatory food recalls, which, incredibly, it cannot currently do.
Funding for the FDA would also be increased.
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