Call to Cut “Killer Salt”
Excessive sodium consumption in modern diets has been highlighted as a “major killer” for Western Australians, with the Australian Heart Foundation suggesting a 15% reduction in sodium intake from processed foods over a decade could prevent 470 hearts attacks each year in the region. Foundation dietitian Barbara Eden said that Australians had an average daily intake of about 3,500 milligrams of sodium. Australian Medical Association (Western Australia) president Richard Choong said Western Australians have come a long way in lowering their sodium intake and are no longer adding excessive amounts of sodium to food at the table, but their intake still is too high, partly because people are unaware of how much sodium is in the foods they eat. – The West Australian
Study Identifies “Quick and Simple” Test for Salt Levels in Food
A new method for measuring sodium content in food is more robust and easier to use than current techniques, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment. The method, called thermometric endpoint titration, does not rely on chloride content, which is the main titration method for measuring sodium and which can lead to errors. Not all sodium in food is paired with chloride (together as sodium chloride, the chemical name of table salt), which makes the current calculation method unreliable. The new method is relatively easy and suitable for routine processes and quality control in food manufacturing facilities. – FoodNavigator.com
New Drug Can Lower Sodium Intake Without Dietary Changes
A new drug may soon be able to address increasing amounts of sodium in people’s diets and the resultant rise in cardiovascular disease and poor kidney function, according to research published online in the journal Science. Tenapanor, which was developed by manufacturer Ardelyx and is still in testing, blocks a membrane transporter called NH3, which is responsible for most of the sodium absorbed by the body. Current medications to control sodium include diuretics and antihypertensive drugs, which either increase water excretion or control high blood pressure. However, these drugs require patients to adhere to a very low sodium diet, which can be difficult given the many high sodium foods in typical American diets, said lead researcher Dominique Charmot, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Ardelyx. Because Tenapanor remains in the gut, the drug can remove sodium while people continue to eat their usual diet. – Fox News
Mission for Mars: Reduce Sodium
Achieving a 9-month shelf life for tortillas or nutrition bars may sound difficult, but the task pales in comparison to the long-term goal facing Vickie Kloeris. At a recent meeting of the American Society of Baking, Kloeris spoke about her work with foods destined for space travel. The foods, which must have a 5-year shelf life to be used on a mission to Mars, also must have a certain amount of nutrients and low levels of sodium. In the past, the space program has used meals ready to eat (MREs) similar to those used by the military. However, the space program likes to formulate its own MREs because those used in the military have high levels of fat and sodium. The space program has achieved about a 40% reduction in sodium for a day’s worth of meals, bringing the total amount down to 3,000 milligrams. –Food Business News