East Village Eats

Food & Drink recommendations straight from the East Village, New York City

Felix Ortiz vs Salt

Posted on | March 13, 2010 | No Comments

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (or as I like to call him; That Raving Lunatic) is proposing legislation that will ban the use of salt in New York restaurants.  Offenders could be fined up to $1,000 for the merest hint of Sodium Chloride.  Americans consume 50% more salt than the daily recommended amount, with most of that coming from eating out.  He is claiming that by banning salt, the state can save on health care costs & also generate revenue from fines.

No Salt!?!  Has this man lost his mind?  What’s next; butter, sugar, high fructose corn syrup (as if the corn lobbyists would ever allow that)?  Obviously this is a man with no taste.

According to the Guardian (UK);

Ortiz’s bill comes on the back of a high-profile attempt by the city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, to encourage New Yorkers to consume less sodium. The city estimates about 1.5 million residents already suffer from high blood pressure, which can be exacerbated by overconsumption of salt. In America as a whole, the average daily intake of 3,400mg is well above the recommended maximum of 2,300mg.

Bloomberg’s campaign aims to cut the amount of salt in pre-packaged and restaurant food by a quarter, in five years. Unlike Bill A10129, however, it is purely voluntary.

There is a clear difference between a reduction in salt consumption (plausible & completely reasonable) & an outright ban (rubber room, straight jacket style crazy).  The fact that this even got this far & Ortiz is getting so much press baffles me!

ARKFoodie has in-depth coverage if this lunacy.

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