Salt as a Litmus Test

[Darkbloom]

You’ve said it yourself- self content≠salt intake. If something has 100% of my recommended daily salt intake, and I eat it everyday, and no other salt then I’ll be fine.
Even if the content of salt is regulated, that doesn’t do anything to improve public health- people will still consume all the salt they want. All this does is limit consumer choice.

It also exposes the blatant doublespeak. “We want to lower salt to improve public health, but we’re not lowering the salt the public eats.” If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is.

 

[Darkbloom]

Because a person suggests that some limits should be placed on salt, that makes them somebody you suspect is “something” you won’t identify.

But the implication is “something” is a negative because they don’t agree with you.

Yes, I think that “something” is negative, but not because I disagree with it. That “something” is the infringement of the rights of private individuals and companies to do as they please. I disagree with it because it is manifestly wrong.

I guess that makes you a supporter of big government because all those that seem to favor the growing influence of corporations on government like government being more involved in our daily lives by restricting the choices available to us.

Peace

Could you please elaborate on this quite a bit? I’m not following at all. That is one big thorny knot I’m not even going to begin to try to untangle.

But, I will state the following just for clarity’s sake. I don’t support big government. I despise the influence of large corporations on government.

How is the government telling companies how much salt they can use in a recipe not restricting choices?

 

[portarica]

Yes, I think that “something” is negative, but not because I disagree with it. That “something” is the infringement of the rights of private individuals and companies to do as they please. I disagree with it because it is manifestly wrong.

Could you please elaborate on this quite a bit? I’m not following at all. That is one big thorny knot I’m not even going to begin to try to untangle.

But, I will state the following just for clarity’s sake. I don’t support big government. I despise the influence of large corporations on government.

How is the government telling companies how much salt they can use in a recipe not restricting choices?

Because you can add more salt if you like, but unless you are carrying around a pot of water and some potatoes, it is very difficult to remove salt.

And the reason companies want to put lots of salt in food is to compel the consumption of foods with higher salt content.

The food industry is one of the most favored of special interest groups. In some instances it would be illegal for you to even complain about food because of food slander laws.

Its why it is OK to have feces in your hamburg and for more people to die each year from preventable food borne illnesses than from the 911 attacks .

Peace

 

[MikiBee]

Because you can add more salt if you like, but unless you are carrying around a pot of water and some potatoes, it is very difficult to remove salt. Peace

You have a choice not to eat the salt laden food. You can’t claim inconvenience for your reason why salt should be cut back significantly in processed food.

Why would someone so concerned with SALT not at least be as concerned with the mere fact it’s processed. There are other choices. If you don’t like the added salt in a can of green beans, either eat fresh or frozen. It really doesn’t take that much more time. Why should one’s desire for convenience trump someone else’s right to produce, sell, or consume a product?

 

[Darkbloom]

Because you can add more salt if you like, but unless you are carrying around a pot of water and some potatoes, it is very difficult to remove salt.

There are plenty of low or no sodium choices. And if more people were really interested, there would be even more options.

And the reason companies want to put lots of salt in food is to compel the consumption of foods with higher salt content.

Why would they want to compel people to eat lots of salt? If anything, they should try to reduce the amount of salt they use so people live longer and buy their products for longer.

Food companies use a lot of salt because that is what people like.

The food industry is one of the most favored of special interest groups. In some instances it would be illegal for you to even complain about food because of food slander laws.

I can’t argue with this one. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear of some poor schlub going to jail for bad mouthing Del Monte.

Its why it is OK to have feces in your hamburg and for more people to die each year from preventable food borne illnesses than from the 911 attacks .

Peace

I’m grown and I make my own decisions. That’s why I’m a vegetarian. I’m not egotistical, so I will assume the average person has the same control over their diet I do. If that is so, the government has no right to tell a company what recipe they should use.

 

[portarica]

You have a choice not to eat the salt laden food. You can’t claim inconvenience for your reason why salt should be cut back significantly in processed food.

Why would someone so concerned with SALT not at least be as concerned with the mere fact it’s processed. There are other choices. If you don’t like the added salt in a can of green beans, either eat fresh or frozen. It really doesn’t take that much more time. Why should one’s desire for convenience trump someone else’s right to produce, sell, or consume a product?

The fact that it is processed likely means that the salt content is high. Also the salt content of processed food that finds it way into prepared foods in fast food & other restaurants etc. is very hard to determine.

The reason the food producers don’t want salt regulated is directly related to processed food. In addition to acting as a flavor enhancer, the high sodium levels are also used to hold that “broth” in tuna, the “water product” in ham , TSP is used in seafood etc.etc. A nice way to add essentially no cost water to food.

Peace

 

[portarica]

There are plenty of low or no sodium choices. And if more people were really interested, there would be even more options.
Actually access to different types of food is restricted by the payment of slotting fees to food retailers.

Why would they want to compel people to eat lots of salt? If anything, they should try to reduce the amount of salt they use so people live longer and buy their products for longer.

Food companies use a lot of salt because that is what people like.
Salt makes it easier to reduce the apparent cost of food by allowing for the addition of water and it acclimates people to the taste of salty food, which compels people to buy more of that salty food.

I can’t argue with this one. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear of some poor schlub going to jail for bad mouthing Del Monte.
Try bad mouthing Monsanto or dairy producers in a public forum.More: netlink.de/gen/Zeitung/970404.htm

I’m grown and I make my own decisions. That’s why I’m a vegetarian. I’m not egotistical, so I will assume the average person has the same control over their diet I do. If that is so, the government has no right to tell a company what recipe they should use.

Good for you, unfortunately not everyone has the means or the time to provide their families with the type of nutrition that you provide yourself. All humility aside, your writing ability puts you well above most of the population and while it sounds great to say that we are all equal in most respects, that isn’t the case or else Jesus wouldn’t need to make mention of the “least”.

Peace

 

[pnewton]

See, I was right. Salt is a fantastic litmus test to show exactly what someone thinks the government should and shouldn’t do.

You were right. Those that have more libertarian views are floored that this is even an issue, and the big brother government types want even salt to be regulated. What a crazy world we live in. What’s next, mandatory callisthenics in every neighborhood?

 

[seekerz]

You have a choice not to eat the salt laden food. You can’t claim inconvenience for your reason why salt should be cut back significantly in processed food.

Why would someone so concerned with SALT not at least be as concerned with the mere fact it’s processed. There are other choices. If you don’t like the added salt in a can of green beans, either eat fresh or frozen. It really doesn’t take that much more time. Why should one’s desire for convenience trump someone else’s right to produce, sell, or consume a product?

Even frozen veggies contain sodium…

 

[seekerz]

You were right. Those that have more libertarian views are floored that this is even an issue, and the big brother government types want even salt to be regulated. What a crazy world we live in. What’s next, mandatory callisthenics in every neighborhood?

Regulation of a company is not regulation of the individual. Nobody’s telling the individual they can’t have as much salt as they want.

 

[Pug]

Even frozen veggies contain sodium…

Yes. So do raw veggies harvested straight from the Earth. Hopefully the government won’t try to do anything about that. Are you saying they have added some significant amount of sodium to my frozen bag of green beans, even though it is not on the label?

However, I do think frozen green beans or veggies don’t work for some people. We serve poor in our area that don’t have freezer space. They would likely use the fresh or canned kind.

 

[seekerz]

Yes. So do raw veggies harvested straight from the Earth. Hopefully the government won’t try to do anything about that. Are you saying they have added some significant amount of sodium to my frozen bag of green beans, even though it is not on the label?

It’s on my bags: 100mg per cup of frozen peas & carrots (approx 2-3 cups per day is the suggested vegetable intake). I honestly don’t know if it’s natural or added, but it does contribute to total daily intake.

However, I do think frozen green beans or veggies don’t work for some people. We serve poor in our area that don’t have freezer space. They would likely use the fresh or canned kind.

I agree. That’s the whole choice angle for me - not everybody has the time/resources to prepare every meal from scratch. Shouldn’t they have a way to better control sodium intake?

 

[pnewton]

Regulation of a company is not regulation of the individual. Nobody’s telling the individual they can’t have as much salt as they want.

I never said that the government is saying that can only have so much salt. I am well aware of the issue and know that we are discussing to salt added on food that is sold. I consider this sort of control to be totalitarian and dangerous. There is nothing, nothing at all, to hinder a company from producing and marketing low salt foods if the demand is there. We do not need Big Brother telling us what we better like.

 

[Pug]

It’s on my bags: 100mg per cup of frozen peas & carrots (approx 2-3 cups per day is the suggested vegetable intake). I honestly don’t know if it’s natural or added, but it does contribute to total daily intake.

:bigyikes: My bag of green beans says 0 mg of sodium and its contents say: green beans. But still, 100 mg! No wonder you are worried. That is indeed added salt. I’m sure yours must say: peas, carrots, salt. Check the “contents”. Perhaps they always add salt to peas for some reason. After you said that I went and looked and I was annoyed to see it said “contents: peas, salt” on my bag of precious peas. All my other frozen veggies were plain, though.

I agree. That’s the whole choice angle for me - not everybody has the time/resources to prepare every meal from scratch. Shouldn’t they have a way to better control sodium intake?

A better way than home prepared food? No, I don’t think they need a better one, not if home prepared food can be done. It would only be if home or locally prepared food were unworkable even with support that I would feel we need to cultivate something else.

But, I don’t know. You probably don’t realize that I get sick often, and I must eat what is supplied to me. That is often KFC. Would I be better off if KFC were healthier? I might be the best off if KFC still served salty food, except for some good items. Then I can send my gofer to eat the bad (tasty) food and bring me home the good. That taste issue is really hard to get around.

 

[rwoehmke]

We should be able to control our own salt intake. This becomes next to impossible for many people because the food industry has taken this control out of our hands. Stricter government regulation would return control to the consumer and their own salt shakers.

 

[Darkbloom]

Regulation of a company is not regulation of the individual. Nobody’s telling the individual they can’t have as much salt as they want.

A) The entire reason to regulate the company is to impact personal behavior and B) regulation of a company is no more praiseworthy than regulation of an individual.

The whole concept of reducing the public risk due to salt without influencing personal choice to consume salt is self effacing and blatant doublespeak.

 

[Darkbloom]

We should be able to control our own salt intake. This becomes next to impossible for many people because the food industry has taken this control out of our hands. Stricter government regulation would return control to the consumer and their own salt shakers.

So you believe that the best alternative to the food industry dictating what people eat is to have the government dictate what people eat?

 

[rwoehmke]

So you believe that the best alternative to the food industry dictating what people eat is to have the government dictate what people eat?

They do not and would not lock up your personal salt shaker. The best alternative is for you to decide on how much salt to add. The government is not dictating how much salt you eat, they are dictating how much the food processers can add. You personally can always add salt, but it plays hell trying to get it out once it is in, not? It should be obvious that regulation in this case increases your freedom or are you jerking my leg just for fun? .

 

[pnewton]

The government is not dictating how much salt you eat, they are dictating how much the food processers can add. .

Yes, though I am opposed to dictators, however benevolent their intentions.

 

[rwoehmke]

I understand.