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Salt Assault! Lawmaker Wants Salt Banned From Restaurants
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 10, 2010
Modified Mar 10, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 10, 2010
Modified Mar 10, 2010
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Back in January, health crusader Mayor Bloomberg launched a "voluntary" initiative encouraging fast food joints like Subway and supermarket chains like Food Emporium to cut the salt in hundreds of store brand products. The Salt Institute was outraged, Curtis Sliwa drank salt in protest, and panicked New Yorkers began hoarding salt in earnest (not really). But the initiative was voluntary, and lacked a certain, shall we say, despotism. Well, according to Reason's blog, NY Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) is kicking it up a notch by proposing a law fully banning "the use of salt by restaurants in the preparation of food." Now that's some hardcore legislating, or should we say legisalting? (Sorry.)
Bill A10129, introduced on Friday in the New York state assembly, would impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 on any restaurateur caught sneaking the deadly white powder into their food. And it's clear where this is going: The fastidious Prohibition-era speakeasy trend has just about run its course, so next up are the salteasies, where refined gentlemen and ladies can repair to savor the exotic pleasures of that proscribed condiment once favored by Pharaohs and Fry Guys alike! (Those who can't afford these exclusive underground salt "cuppings" will have to make do with a simple salt flask.) [Hat tip The Awl/JoeMyGod]
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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