By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — First it was smoking. Then came trans fat. Then Mayor Michael Bloomberg set his sights on salt, which proved upsetting to New York chefs who wanted to do what they liked with their meals.
But on Monday the mayor announced that 16 companies have signed on to the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a city-led effort launched two years ago that aims to reduce salt consumption nationwide.
The companies, including Subway, Starbucks, Boar's Head, FreshDirect and Mars Food, have voluntarily pledged to reduce salt levels across their product lines with the goal of reducing Americans' consumption by 20 percent over the next five years.
"For the first time ever in our nation's history, we've been able to achieve something that many thought was impossible," Bloomberg told reporters at City Hall. "We created a public-private partnership that has set concrete, achievable goals to lower the level of salt in food products."
Limiting the amount of salt one consumes is key to preventing high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Those diseases kill more than 800,000 Americans and 23,000 New Yorkers each year, said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association.
The average adult consumes about twice the daily recommended limit of 1,500 mg of sodium, the mayor said — the vast majority of which comes from packaged products and restaurant meals.
While New Yorkers may not want to compromise on taste, Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for Los Angeles County, said that if done gradually, "people really won't notice the difference in terms of taste."
He also tried to assure food manufacturers that cutting sodium doesn't have to cut into profits.
Still, the mayor admitted that he likes to indulge in the occasional splurge, sprinkling everything from popcorn to bagels with extra salt.
"Popcorn without salt is not popcorn," he maintained.
