National Salt Reduction Initiative is a New York City-led public-private partnership which aims to reduce by 20% the amount of salt consumed in the United States. The NSRI consists of numerous city, state, and national health organizations.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg now announces an impressive list of 16 big American companies who are committed to reducing the amount of salt added to their products. Among the food giants taking a healthier turn are JJ Heinz Co., Kraft Foods Inc.. and Starbucks.
Within five years, companies will reduce by 25% the amount of salt in 62 categories of food sold in stores and 25 food categories sold in restaurants. According to authorities, this will reduce American salt consumption by 20%.
Rhonda Jordan is president of Health & Wellness for Kraft Foods. She says: "We applaud New York City for bringing greater focus to the need for sodium reduction in American diets. We believe that this public and transparent voluntary program can truly benefit both the food industry and consumers. We fully support the intent of the National Salt Reduction Initiative because we share the goal of reduced sodium, and have been working to lower sodium in our products for several years."
Consuming too much salt is one of the principal causes of high blood pressure. This can lead to, among other things, heart attacks and strokes.