On Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:24:11 -0500, Becca > wrote:

>Mark Thorson wrote:
>> ImStillMags wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder how much a company can reduce the sodium before the taste of
>>> the item is affected? I'lll bet it's more than we think.
>>>
>>
>> It might become a food safety issue if they
>> cut too much. Processed foods must have
>> a very long shelf life, and salt helps
>> with that.
>
>My oldest son worked on finding a preservative for large bags of Frito's
>so they would keep fresh longer. The small bags have corn, oil and salt
>as ingredients, there are no added preservatives, other than the salt.
>The large bags have the same ingredients, but they are not single-use
>servings, so people keep them longer. I will have to ask what they did,
>if anything.

People who buy chips in larger bags eat larger servings... bet ya
can't eat just one. All prepared foods contain added salt... if you
buy canned/jarred soups/sauces they will probably contain more salt
than if you made your own. But even when you make your own you will
add substantial salt or why bother... soup without salt is pretty
unsatisfying, most folks won't eat it... it's like does anyone
actually eat fat free cheese? blech. It's easy to cut back on salt,
eat more fresh fruit and raw vegetables. I think this salt issue is a
lot of crap, there are always alarmists seeking issues, remember the
butter police, now it's the salt police. Unless your doctor informs
you that you have a condition where cutting back on salt is indicated
you will harm yourself more from worry about salt than if you simply
consume salt sensibly... eating pizza, chips, and tube steak
practically every day is not wise on many levels, not just salt.
Remember, the healthy human body is remarkable at regulating itself,
excess salt is eliminated quickly, provided one engages in moderate
exercise and is sufficiently hydrated with plain water. If you sit at
a pc 8 hours a day while sucking down soda and think a 1 pound bag of
potato chips is your 5-a-Day of fresh produce then sooner rather than
later you will be in trouble. You really cannot overdose on fresh
produce, and there are many ways to dress a salad without briney
dressings.