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More Changes to Come to School Lunches in the North Penn School District
Starting in September 2014, students in Pennsylvania’s North Penn School District (NPSD) will notice some changes to their school lunches as part of the USDA’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The new standards have been rolled out gradually, explained Pam Gallagher, NPSD coordinator of school nutrition services. Effective for the 2014–2015 school year, each school lunch can contain no more than 520 milligrams of sodium. To meet those guidelines, manufacturers will have to change many of their products. Another upcoming change is the Smart Snacks in School program, which requires each snack to contain no more than 240 milligrams of sodium. – The Times Herald
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Food Should Be Regulated Like Tobacco, Say Campaigners
The food industry should be regulated like the tobacco industry because obesity poses a greater global health risk than cigarettes, according to international groups Consumers International and the World Obesity Federation. These more stringent rules could include pictures on food packaging of damage caused by obesity, similar to those on cigarette packets. These groups say governments around the world should impose compulsory rules for the food and drink industry, which could include reducing the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and sugar in food; improving food served in hospitals and schools; imposing stricter advertising controls; and educating the public about healthy eating. – BBC News
“You Need Much Less Salt than You Think”
May 17 was World Hypertension Day, designated for raising awareness about hypertension and ways to manage and prevent it. “An estimated 35% of the adult population has high blood pressure,” said Rajan Ravichandran, director of MIOT Institute of Nephrology in Chennai, India. The easiest remedy to avoid high blood pressure is reducing sodium intake, Ravichandran said. A recent study from World Action on Salt and Health, published in BMJ, documented the benefit of sodium reduction in the British population. Between 2003 and 2011, after a nationwide sodium reduction program, researchers saw a decrease in the death rates from stroke by 42% and heart attack by 40%, respectively. Based on study estimates, sodium reduction in Britain has saved more than £1.5 billion (about $2.5 million) per year. Obstacles in India include the myth that people in tropical countries require more sodium and the lack of studies that estimate the sodium content in Indians’ diets. – The Hindu