A just released CDC report on salt content in foods found that bread products are the primary source of salt in Americans' diets. The AP reported that this was a "surprising finding."
You know what I find surprising? That a government agency actually spent my tax dollars figuring out which has more salt: a dinner role or a potato chip?
Less surprising is how the AP reported on this topic–totally inaccurately, of course. The AP states:
Salt is the main source of sodium for most people, and sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Health officials say most Americans get too much salt, mostly from processed and restaurant foods – not added from the salt shaker.
Just how do reporters miss so much information when researching a topic. Do they set their Google searches to only find information prior to 1999?
If the AP reporter had done his homework, he would have seen the latest research on salt which throws into doubt the relationship between salt and cardiovascular disease. I've written about those studies here and here.
More importantly, what does this "shocking" information mean for the baking industry–who no doubt will begin to feel pressure from the food nannies and the regulators to reduce salt in their products.
The American Bakers Association has weighed in on that subject. In perhaps the most succinct comment on proposed salt regulations, they said "We can’t afford to make products consumers won’t buy."