The New York Times has a fascinating page one story today about salt. It’s an interesting piece of reporting about the effect of salt on food, particularly processed food, and how the food industry has not just embraced but become addicted to salt over the decades. It’s also a peek into how the government regulates the food we eat and the tension between scientific research, the food industry, government and your average grocery shopper.

I always worry when I read stories likes this one, though, because I fear that the lesson learned at the end isn’t “eat fewer processed foods” but “salt is bad”. And since my email and twitter have already filled with questions about this latest salvo against salt, here’s my bit.

First, you need salt to live, just like you need fat, so completely getting rid of it, even if you could, is a bad idea. Second, the vast majority of salt consumed, particularly in Western diets, comes from processed foods, not from properly seasoning your food while you’re cooking — the NYT article claims processed and restaurant foods account for 80% of Americans’ salt intake.

The human palate is highly attuned to detect salt, which, along with finicky consumers, makes it difficult for processed food manufacturers like Kraft and Kellogg to significantly reduce salt without driving their customers away. Add to the fact that salt is a much cheaper additive than, say, fresh herbs, and it’s easy to understand why the food industry is reluctant to stop over-salting the food they process for us.

Which leads to an obvious recommendation: eat fewer processed foods, cook more, use fresh ingredients but don’t be afraid to properly season your food with salt. It’s obvious, though not necessarily easy, and it’s something we hope to help with.