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Harvard Nutritionist Calls for Federal Reduced-Salt Mandate

At a meeting of chefs and foodservice executives, Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the government should mandate less salt be used in packaged and processed foods, The Boston Globe reported today.

ST. HELENA, Calif. — At a meeting of chefs and foodservice executives here, Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the government should mandate less salt be used in packaged and processed foods, The Boston Globe reported today.

Willett, the force behind nationwide efforts to ban trans fats, has recently prepared nutrition policy to be presented to President Obama, The Globe story said. The Harvard School of Public Health is co-sponsoring the three-day, Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference that includes discussions about food strategies to guide Americans to make healthier food choices. In addition to suggesting a government regulation that would dramatically reduce salt content in packaged foods, Willett suggested a national tax of up to 18% on soda and candy.

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