A Call for the Reduction of Salt in the Diet

WHEREAS, the American Medical Association Board of Cardiologists stated from a recent study that sodium is the number one cause of elevated blood pressure causing one in three US adults to have high blood pressure; and 

WHEREAS, the lives of nearly 8,000 Black Americans could be saved each year if their blood pressure equaled the average level of Whites; and 

WHEREAS, a report in 2005 from the Center for Science in the Public interest said that excess salt in the diet was boosting Americans' blood pressure and is prematurely killing some 150,000 people each year; and 

WHEREAS, the NAACP will promote the removal of the salt shaker from the table, which has the potential of reducing dietary intake of sodium below 3 to 4 grams per day, following the principles of the ADA and the DASH diet; and 

WHEREAS, several food manufactures are encouraged to continue and increase the production of foods described by the acceptable standards of ―no salt‖, ―low salt‖, and ―regular‖ food products available for food purchasing and consumption; and 

WHEREAS, restaurants and food processors seems to care only about the bottom line of their companies with the amount of salt they use to process and preserve food; and 

WHEREAS, some medical associations are lobbying for food processors to reduce the amount of salt added to food; and 

WHEREAS, excessive salt intake could increase the potential for strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure in all Americans; and 

WHEREAS, the health industry promotes the food chart for healthy eating, but does not consider the salt contents in processed foods (and especially canned meats) in the chart of healthy eating; and 

WHEREAS, market forces push families to choose cheaper, higher salt foods; and 

WHEREAS, we commend companies and some of the store chains for reformulating products to reduce sodium. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decrease the amount of salt added to foods consumed by the general public and provide foods with a safer level of salt (less than 1/2 of the current level); and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the food industry to develop safer, more healthful nutrition guidelines for edible products and to establish upper limits for sodium; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request the American Heart Association to identify strategies to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply and to encourage food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in foods by 50 percent in 3 years; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request appropriate government agencies and industry to come up with safe salt alternatives; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls upon the American Medical Association and the National Medical Association to continue lobbying food processors to decrease the amount of salt added to the food; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP encourage units to read labels, and promote a practice of ―No Added Salt‖ by removing the salt shaker from the table.