NY Lawmaker Proposes Salt Ban

ALBANY, N.Y.Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (Brooklyn-51 AD) introduces legislation that would prohibit restaurants and food establishments from using salt when preparing food for consumers. Violators would face a $1,000 fine for every dish that violated the law.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg is advocating for a similar initiative that reduces the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant foods by 25 percent over the next five years. Ortiz believes that, by putting the control of the sodium intake amount into the customers hands, it would give them an option to exercise a healthier diet and healthier lifestyle.

According to Ortiz, billions of dollars and thousands of lives would be saved if salt was taken off the menu. The bill is designed to mimic the laws that ban the use of trans fats and require chain restaurants to post nutrition information.