Whatever else anyone has to say about Michael Bloomberg, as a mayor, he is a public health dream come true.

Many people complain bitterly when he undertakes one of his initiatives.

He often surprises them with successes—the ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places was, you would have thought, going to be a death sentence for all of them. Did not happen.

Now, he is going after food producers, the ones who put packages on your grocery stores shelves. These, it has been proven, often are loaded with sodium the consumer may not know about.

The whole nation may owe a debt to New York City if these products bring down the sodium levels voluntarily. That’s the mayor’s secret this time.

Make it voluntary and these companies want to be the first in their category.

The Washington Post

“Sixteen food companies plan to cut the amount of salt in bacon, flavored rice and dozens of other products as part of a national effort to reduce American’s sodium consumption by 20 percent.

“Companies including H.J. Heinz Co., Kraft Foods Inc. and Starbucks will commit to the voluntary National Salt Reduction Initiative, a public-private partnership initiated by New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Monday.

“Sodium is a major cause of high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to heart attack and stroke,” Bloomberg said.”

Source: Washington Post, April 26, 2010