Center for Consumer Freedom

Not content with just trying to tax soft drinks, New York’s nanny-state politicians are also considering legislation to prohibit the use of salt in the preparation of restaurant food. Assemblyman Felix Ortiz introduced this absurdist bill on March 5. Ortiz is one of New York’s more strident food cops, having already introduced strict restaurant menu labeling proposals in the past. He is also following in the steps of fellow food nanny Mayor Michael Bloomberg who went so far as to compare salt to carcinogenic asbestos.

Reality check: Besides representing another attempt to run people’s lives, regulating salt intake would have few to no health benefits. A University of California study published last year found that our bodies naturally regulate sodium intake, ensuring that sodium levels remain within a certain range at all times.

Here is the statement we put out today:

New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz’s New Bill Rubs Salt in New Yorkers’ Wounds

Proposed Legislation Not Worth Its Salt

Today the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) called out New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz for his proposed legislation, bill number A10129, introduced last Friday that would prohibit the use of salt in the preparation of restaurant foods.

J. Justin Wilson, Senior Research Analyst at CCF, made the following statement regarding this ludicrous legislation:

New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz must be hell-bent on making New Yorkers' diet as costly and bland as possible. Between taxing soda and banning salt, he has single-handedly insulted the intelligence of the entire state – no small task. Calling Ortiz's assault on salt "ill-conceived" doesn't do justice to just how hilariously inappropriate it is. I had to call his office just to make sure it wasn't a joke (it’s not).

What's next from Assemblyman Ortiz? How about regulators at swimming pools ensuring people don't swim within 30 minutes of eating? Levying a fine on anyone who snacks before dinner? Establishing a squad of "Floss Police"?

Assemblyman Ortiz must not cook for himself because his bill shows his ignorance of how food is made. Forcing a restaurant to stop using salt is the equivalent of telling a carpenter to stop using nails or a barber to not use scissors. If Ortiz were a competitor on Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay wouldn't even bother wasting a rant on Ortiz before sending him packing.