Cuisine Canada Scene

Most Canadians eat three times the daily recommened amount of salt.

If the Globe and Mail is right, the Food Industry did it in the Pantry with a Salt Shaker.

The Globe just ran an interesting 2-part series on salt. Part 1, Under Pressure, examines the effects of high sodium levels in the diet. Apparently there’s so much salt in our diets that even teenagers are now suffering from high blood pressure.

Part 2, Searching for the Salt Gene, looks at the link between salt-related health issues and ethnicity. While salt is necessary for life, we can survive quite happily on a fraction of our current intake.

Fat, sugar and processed grains have all gone under the healthy-eating microscope in the past. Now we’re turning our critical eyes to salt. Personally, I’ll be thrilled to see “low sodium” labels on items, but see potential for misrepresentation. “Low-fat” is often code for “high-sugar”. What will manufacturers boost the sugar or artificial flavours when salt is slashed?

As food professionals, will the anti-sodium movement affect you? Have you noticed customers calling for low-salt options? Or is this a health fad that will fade?

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