MDs sue U.S. over salt levels in food

A prominent group of doctors and scientists is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for not regulating salt, saying 150,000 people in North America die prematurely every year from eating too much sodium.

People living in Canada and the United States get most of their salt in processed and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker on the kitchen table.

The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest launched the lawsuit in Washington on Thursday, arguing the U.S. government should require food manufacturers to lower their sodium levels.

"The salt in our diets has turned our hearts and arteries into ticking time bombs," said Michael Jacobson, the group's executive director. "Time bombs that explode in tens of thousands of Americans every year."

• FROM JULY 29, 2003: Cut salt intake by half: FDA

Like the U.S., Canada has no limits on how much salt can be added to food. Some restaurant meals contain more than twice the recommended daily intake.

Most Canadians consume about 4,000 milligrams of sodium each day, or about two teaspoons. Dietitians advise a healthy amount would be 1,500 milligrams, or one level teaspoon.

Too much salt raises blood pressure, which contributes to high rates of heart disease, stroke and death, said Dr. Norman Campbell, a hypertension specialist at the University of Calgary.

Those who already have heart conditions or high blood pressure are at highest risk. By lowering the sodium in their diet, they can lower their blood pressure.

But there is little evidence that too much salt is bad for everyone, said Dr. Sandy Logan, a kidney specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

"What is really missing in the piece of the puzzle is a properly done randomized controlled trial," Logan said.

Health Canada and the country's food processors are talking about regulating salt. For now, it's up to consumers to add up how much they're getting.

In the United States, the Food Products Association said labels indicate the amount of salt, and lower-sodium choices are available.

"Knowing what that number is really does have me thinking about how I can alter my diet even further," said Scott McPherson, a screenwriter in Edmonton who was unaware of salt-laden food in his cupboards despite trying to eat healthily.