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NYS Legislature to Ban Salt

The NYS Assembly, which has yet to address a 9 BILLION dollar budget shortfall, is entertaining a measure sponsored by assemblyman Felix Otiz, D-Brooklyn. The measure, if passed into law, would make it illegal for restaurant staff to use all forms of salt in the preparation and cooking of all restaurant food.

Each and every time a chef would add any kind of salt before, during, or after cooking, there would be a $1000.00 fine per occurrence. It’s not made clear if the fine would be assessed to the restaurant or the chef.

An excerpt from the measure:

“No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises”. (link here for more info:http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=051&sh=story&story=35898)

Not only is this a gross abuse of political clout, it’s ill informed, and just plain stupid.

As New Yorkers, we have had to contend with :

1)Banning hydrogenated fats in baking

2)Mandatory nutritional analysis posted for food items

3)Proposal to tax “sugary beverages”

Some quick thoughts about each idiotic suggestion:

1)Hydrogenated fat is solid or semi-solid at room temperatures. It is found in hard and semi-soft margarine and in vegetable shortenings. These products are then used in processed foods like baked goods, plus, as margarine or spread, we then use them on our healthiest foods: baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, oatmeal, etc. The most common use is for pre-packaged baked goods which are manufactured by the baking conglomerates, NOT the local bakery down the block. The reason is that when these fats are used, they extend the shelf life of the product. So the Ring Dings you are eating could very well be 6-12 months old.

2)If local mom & pop restaurants are eventually mandated to adhere this this nutritional analysis requirement, you well never see another “Daily Special” created by your neighborhood chef again.

3)Instead of taxing sugary beverages, stop spending more more than you have!

To my knowledge, assemblyman Ortiz has never cooked nor baked professionally.

Is this still America? What do you think.