Salt Wars: Why More Rules and Lower Sodium = More Consumer Choice

(MoneyWatch)  Here's the thing about the salt wars: In many respects, rules that lower sodium content in food would actually expand consumer choice.

For one thing, salt may not always be horrible for you. Which is to say, despite many studies which have shown most of us consume twice as much salt as we should, nevertheless, "the evidence for harm caused by excess salt is not irrefutable." It's also a very individual thing, and some people need more salt in their diets to stay healthy.

But it's a lot easier to add salt to food than to take it out. As it is, most packaged foods and restaurant meals already have high levels of sodium, and there's really nothing consumers can do about that aside from cooking everything from scratch.

Many were furious when New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed that restaurants and food manufacturers cut down on the amount of salt they use. Rush Limbaugh fumed: "It is none of their business how much salt I eat!"

But if Limbaugh supports freedom of choice for consumers, he should support a lower baseline for sodium content. He's absolutely right -- it's none of the government's business how much salt he eats. He should be able to reach for the salt shaker whenever he wants to. But those who want less salt should have options too.

Related Stories on BNET Food:

• Stealth and Other Salt Reduction Strategies
• Salt Reduction Creates Game of Chicken
• Assault on Salt Inspires New Products and Strategies
• The New Enemy: Salt

Grains of salt image via Flickr user kevindooley, CC 2.0