US govt pressures food industry to make foods less salty

The Obama administration is pressuring the food industry to make foods from breads to sliced turkey less salty, proposing long-awaited sodium guidelines in an effort to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke.

The proposed guidelines released last month are voluntary, so food companies won't be required to comply. But the idea is to persuade companies and restaurants - many of which have already lowered sodium levels in their products - to take a more consistent approach.

The guidelines set recommended limits for about 150 categories of foods, from cereals to pizzas and sandwiches. Some targets have a two-year goal, while others have a 10-year goal.