The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released guidance on limiting sodium in processed and packaged foods. "Limiting certain nutrients, such as sodium, in our diets plays a crucial role in preventing diseases like hypertension and cardiovascular disease that disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority groups; these diseases often result in hundreds of thousands of lives lost and billions in annual health care costs," the agency stated in a press release. The statement notes that "people consume 50% more sodium than recommended," and "about 70% of the sodium we eat comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods." "[W]e recognize that most of the food consumption in the U.S. comes from a relatively small number of products and menu items in the marketplace that are produced by a limited number of food manufacturers," the guidance states. "It is possible that reformulation by these food manufacturers could lead to increased demand…
Tag Archives sodium
A New Jersey resident has filed a putative nationwide class action against the Campbell Soup Co. and American Heart Association (AHA) claiming that the “Heart-Check Mark” which AHA allows Campbell to place on more than 30 varieties of its canned soups in exchange for a fee misleads consumers into believing that these products meet AHA’s heart-healthy nutritional guidelines when a single serving actually contains nearly three times the amount of sodium permitted under those guidelines. O’Shea v. Campbell Soup Co., No. 13-4887 (D.N.J., filed August 13, 2013). According to the plaintiff, “Properly characterized, the real meaning of the AHA’s Heart-Check Mark certification is, ‘Unhealthy, but maybe not as bad for you as other products.’” Also characterizing the certification program as a “scheme,” the plaintiff alleges, “By the AHA selling, and Campbell’s buying, the right to affix the AHA’s seal of approval to its products, they falsely represent to the public…
