WASHINGTON (AP) – From cheese to sliced turkey, the Obama administration is encouraging food companies and restaurants to lower the amount of salt in the foods they sell.
If the effort is successful, most Americans won’t even notice the change. The idea is to lower sodium levels gradually so consumers’ taste buds can adjust, and to give the industry time to develop lower-sodium foods. Voluntary guidance proposed by the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday sets two-year and 10-year sodium targets for around 150 categories of foods.
It’s the first time the government has recommended such limits. Sodium content already is included on existing food labels, but the government has not previously set specific sodium recommendations.
Things for consumers to know about the new guidelines:
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