A new lawsuit filed by The Center for Science in the Public Interest contends that the Food and Drug Administration has not done enough to regulate the sodium levels in processed foods which leads to the death of many Americans each year.
'Limiting the sodium content of foods is the single most important thing the FDA could do to prevent heart attacks and stroke,' said Dr. Michael Jacobson, executive director of the plaintiffs organization. He added, 'Those innocent-looking white crystals are causing tens of thousands of premature deaths every year.'
Consuming too much salt in your diet is linked to hypertension which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. As a result, the center wants to have the FDA change salt from a food that is 'generally recognized as safe' to a category which it can regulate much like it does artificial sweeteners.
It is uncontested that most Americans do have too much sodium in their diets. With more frozen and processed foods being bought in America and the explosion of fast food and takeout food, our daily salt intake has increased even further in recent years.
The complaint states that 'Without the court’s intervention, the FDA will almost certainly continue to delay. Because the millions of Americans at risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease are paying for the FDA’s delay with their health, the court should compel FDA to take prompt action.'
