Salt getting attention as troublesome additive in international food processing circles

[Estelle Menz]

It is difficult to determine if this industry is interested in a good faith effort in sodium reduction recommended in the Journal of Hypertension. A recent article in the food industry newsletter Food Navigator USA seems to indicate that food producers are actively thinking of ways to reduce sodium intake.

The new review, published in the Journal of Hypertension, identifies key characteristics from a number of salt reduction initiatives, including the need for industry involvement and central organisation. The authors, led by Jacqui Webster from the George Institute for Global Health, at the University of Sydney, Australia, said that the findings of the review will help to establish “a framework for guiding the future development of programmes.”

Click on this link to continue reading the article by Nathan Gray

[Beatrice Yearwood]

BELGIAN SODIUM STUDY RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT BODY OF EVIDENCE

Hi Estelle:

Research on sodium will create controversy because it is not feasible to conduct a clinical trial. An article  early this month in the New York Times discussed this very issue.  A Belgian study questions sodium intake as a risk factor for heart disease.  There were problems with the study design, but a researcher, who once worked for the Salt Institute, the only way to settle the question is with the gold standard clinical trial. 

Another researcher makes the point that "This is one of those really interesting situations,” said Dr. Lawrence Appel, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and international health at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. “You can say, ‘O.K., let’s dismiss the observational studies because they have all these problems.’ ” But, he said, despite the virtues of a randomized controlled clinical trial, such a study “will never ever be done.” It would be impossible to keep people on a low-sodium diet for years with so much sodium added to prepared foods."

The article is titled Study Finds Low Salt Diet Ineffective by Gina...

[Estelle Menz]

TO SALT OR NOT TO SALT-IT'S NO LONGER THE QUESTION

Since this May post a review of salt studies revealed that reducing salt in the diet did not help the problem of high blood pressure.  Now The Lancet has written a scathing report about the review conducted by the Cochrane group.  Sound like a nasty row from the tone of an article in Food Navigator.com

[Beatrice Yearwood]

Estelle:

Here is a link to the Cochrane review as  reference for others who may read your post. It is great to have someone from the food retail business so interested in this issue.   I see from your past posts & profiles that you trained at one of the best schools in the study of diet nutrition & of all things home economics.

Please spread the word among the unconverted in your line of business!

 

[Estelle Menz]

HARVARD NEWSLETTER TIPS ON UNDERSTANDING NUTRITION STUDIES

Thank you Beatrice.  Below is a link to the Harvard School of Public Health newsletter that helps the average individual (not you given your profile) read nutrition studies with a more critical eye. 

The Nutrition Source-Nutrition Research & Mass Media: An Introd...