On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its final rule requiring that processors of raw meat and poultry disclose the products’ added solutions on their labels. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requiring that the descriptive designation include the percentage of added solution and the individual ingredients or multi-ingredient components in the…
DeLauro Urges OMB to Finalize Two Food Rules
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to finalize two pending food safety rules. DeLauro wrote to OMB director Shaun Donovan Monday, expressing her concern that if the mechanically tenderized beef rule and a rule regarding added solutions in meat and poultry products are not completed before the end…
CDC Report Finds High Sodium Consumption Among U.S. Kids
More than 90 percent of U.S. children aged 6-18 years eat more sodium than recommended, putting them at risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease later in life, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report released on Tuesday. 
This report provides the most recent data detailing how much sodium school-age children eat…
FDA Commissioner Promises Guidance to Help Reduce Dietary Sodium
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is promising in media interviews that new sodium guidance, probably dependent on voluntary compliance by the food industry, is coming soon. The American diet of processed and restaurant foods — not so much the salt shaker on the table — is responsible for our average per-person consumption…
The Endless Debate About Salt: Don't Worry. Eat (Real) Food
Since 1980, U.S. dietary guidelines have advised eating less sodium (salt is 40% sodium, 60% chloride). Although sodium is an essential nutrient, most Americans consume way more than they need or is good for them—around 3,400 milligrams a day. The 2010 guidelines advised healthy people to consume no more than 2,300 mg per day (~6…
Institute of Medicine: Low Salt Intake May Be Unhealthy
Health experts have long promoted one simple, consistent message when it comes to salt intake: cut back. Now, a review from the Institute of Medicine suggests that a diet too low in sodium may actually be unhealthy for those at risk for heart problems. This conclusion was drawn by a committee designated by IOM tasked…
Kountry Buffet Horse Feed Recalled
Following reports that some horses have died as a result of consuming feed that may contain monensin sodium (Rumensin), Western Feed, LLC is recalling two lots of Kountry Buffet 14% feed.
Monensin sodium is a medication approved for use in some livestock and poultry species, but can be fatal to horses if fed at sufficiently…
CDC: Too Much Sodium in Most U.S. Diets
Nine in 10 U.S. adults consume much more sodium than they should, putting them at risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s newest “Vital Signs” report.
Most of the sodium comes from 10 types of foods, which are responsible for more than 40 percent of people’s sodium …