Article

NYC surpassing salt ruling?

Although chain restaurants in New York City are required to put a saltshaker icon on menu items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, a Manhattan appeals court on Monday said those that don’t comply will not be subject to the $200 fine that had been part of the law.

March 1, 2016 by Wade Winters — V.P. Supply Chain, Consolidated Concepts

Although chain restaurants in New York City are now required to put a saltshaker icon on menu items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the recommended daily limit by the FDA, a Manhattan appeals court on Monday said those that don’t comply will not be subject to a $200 fine that had been part of the law, pending a final decision by a full panel of appellate judges.

Justice Eileen Rakower, last week, threw out a lawsuit by the National Restaurant Association challenging the regulation, which paved the way for the measure.

Personally, I think it’s extremely important to provide consumers with information about the ingredients and nutritional information of anything being put into their body.  They have this information on anything purchased at a grocery store, so it only makes sense to provide them with the same information for anything purchased at a restaurant.  Consumers still have to make the choices, but they need to be educated choices.

While this information might alter some consumer decisions, they will not sacrifice flavor. When people see that there is too much sodium in the cup of soup they just bought, it’s going to put pressure on the restaurant to reduce the sodium, but not reduce the flavor. People aren’t going to stop eating it; they are just going to demand that the restaurant changes the recipe.

So how do restaurants continue satisfying the demand for flavor without the salt?

Alternatives to enhancing flavor in food without adding salt can include natural herbs and spices, vinegar, lemon juice, onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. Herbs and spices like pepper, garlic, and basil can provide bold and satisfying flavors.  Vinegar and lemon juice brings out the flavor like salt and is great for marinades.  Garlic, ginger and onions provide strong flavors and depth to most dishes.  Peppers are a category of their own; pick your heat level and use them as a distraction from salt!

We crave salt which makes sense since we need it to survive; however, we tend to consume larger amounts than necessary. There are several reasons for craving salt.  There may be medical reasons, but often it is just habit. If you have always salted your food, it won’t taste as good without the salt. However, tastes can change, and people will adjust to less salt in their diet.

The American Heart Association and the Dietary Guidelines suggest limiting the intake of sodium to keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.  Keep in mind that sodium and salt are not the same thing. Sodium is a mineral essential to the human body for the regulation of maintaining a pH balance and hydration, but high blood pressure can occur if over-consumed. Meanwhile, salt contains 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride and can also lead to high blood pressure and other negative health effects if used in high volume. On average, most Americans consume around 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, primarily in the form of salt.

It is obvious that salt is the new "target" for the restaurant industry, but don’t think that will be the end of it.  Similar to how allergen logos are used, I think we are going to start seeing more ‘things that are bad for you logos' salt, sugar, fat, GMO’s, caffeine, preservatives, dyes, etc.  It's best to be proactive and start cleaning up the ingredients on your menu now — before you are forced to.