Health risks of refined salt prompt consumers, food industry to consider benefits of natural sea salt
WOODINVILLE, Wash., March 31, 2008 — No one would knowingly sprinkle chemicals over a dinner plate – yet that's exactly what millions of Americans unwittingly do every day when they choose to season their food with refined table salt, says Mark Zoske, co-founder of SaltWorks, Inc. (http://www.seasalt.com), the world's leading supplier of gourmet sea salt. Accordingly, Zoske is appealing to the food industry to halt its use of refined table salt.
"Refined salt is a chemical. Natural sea salt is gourmet food. It's just that simple," Zoske explained. "SaltWorks sea salts are carefully harvested by skilled salt farmers. Refined salts are manufactured in a chemical factory by scientists."
That is precisely why table salt is such a health threat. Refined, or table, salts are 99.9% sodium chloride, their naturally occurring minerals and trace elements stripped away during the lengthy refining process. Manufacturers then sell the trace elements separately to maximize profits. The remaining sodium chloride is then heat blasted, bleached white, pumped up with chemicals like aluminum and other anti-caking agents and packaged for consumers as a seasoning – a "seasoning" that burdens the kidneys and adrenal glands, depletes calcium and interferes with the body's ability to absorb other essential nutrients. Low-sodium salt is even worse: Removing sodium from refined table salt forces refineries to add more chemicals just to simulate the taste of salt.
In stark contrast, pure, unrefined salt – like the new Pure Ocean line of sea salts SaltWorks has developed – contains up to 80 trace elements and minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, sulfur and magnesium, all essential to healthy bodily functions. Pure Ocean, along with every other line of salts available at SeaSalt.com, is still made the traditional way, by evaporating clean seawater in the sun and wind. To ensure his company's all-natural guarantee is upheld, Zoske personally inspects every family farm and village hand-harvesting the salt SaltWorks imports.
"Consumers deserve healthier ingredients in their food," stated Naomi Novotny, SaltWorks co-founder. "If more people knew the truth about table salt, I believe it would quickly go the way of trans fats. SaltWorks is urging everyone involved in the food industry – restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, etc. – to stop needlessly exposing consumers to the adverse health effects of the chemical known as refined table salt. We're just asking everyone to season responsibly."
About SaltWorks, Inc.
SaltWorks is America's gourmet sea salt company, offering the world's finest brands of sea salt, including Artisan Salt Company, Fusion, Le Tresor and Pure Ocean. The company stocks over two million pounds of sea salt in 50 different varieties. SaltWorks prides itself on its approach to the sea salt business, focusing on traditional harvesting methods, sustainability, natural processes and quality. To learn more, visit http://www.seasalt.com.
Contact:
Naomi Novotny
SaltWorks, Inc.
800-353-7258
Email
http://www.seasalt.com