With everyone from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to First Lady Michelle Obama pushing foodmakers to cut the salt in their products, the salt industry is fighting back. And they warn that without enough salt, processed meats start to taste like cardboard or “damp dog hair.” Yum!
Another WWJD Public Service Announcement for those of my readers determined to dig their graves with their teeth….
OK, so I think we can all agree that salt, like most things, is best enjoyed in moderation. And we can probably agree that salt, when not used in moderation, can lead to some significant health issues. And NO ONE wants to eat something that tastes like damp dog hair, right?
Given the amount of processed food Americans eat, most of which contains much higher amounts of sodium than most of us realize, salt is no small issue. This might seem rather esoteric, but I’ve always been fascinated by salt. The history of salt is something that has been responsible for the rise and demise of countries and empires (see “British Empire in India”). It’s been used as currency, it’s functioned as a status symbol, and it can do a number on a person’s blood pressure…and this is even before we begin to think about it can do to and for food.
Like anything, though, it turns out that too much salt can be a bad thing…not that the salt industry sees a problem with this. No, if you’re a lobbyist for the salt industry, this is just another example of the nanny state trying to tell us what we can’t and shouldn’t consume. First they came for our cigarettes, then our alcohol. Now they’re coming for our salt…and what’s next? Our guns??
Then again, the bottom line IS the bottom line. No one’s putting a gun to the heads of Americans and forcing them to salt their Haagen-Dazs or their haggis…but if they choose to…hey, it’s a free country, no?
