Support federal Bill C-460 to ensure food companies curb their enthusiasm for pre-salting food (or fess-up on food labels) | Centre for Science in the Public Interest

Dear friends and colleagues,

It has been a very long time since Parliament has considered such an important opportunity to save so many lives. Bill C-460, The Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada Act was introduced in the House of Commons last November by MP and Deputy Leader of the Official opposition, Libby Davies, to help reduce the 16,000 deaths caused by excess sodium in the food supply. We are working hard to enlist the support of MPs from all parties to support this bill and it looks like it might be a close vote.

Please help ensure this bill is passed into law by sending the letter below to your Member of Parliament before the bill comes to a vote in May 2013. Simply by entering your postal code (which automatically inserts your MP's name), as well as your name, etc. you can adapt as you like the model letterto your MP.

A growing list of (42 and counting) health groups and experts are backing the bill, including the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses, Dietitians of Canada, the Canadian Association of Pharmacists, and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. See: http://www.cspinet.org/canada/foodsodium.html for an up-to-date list of most of them.

I really hope you can write your MP. Every vote counts!

Even better, follow-up your email with a call or personal meeting with your MP. Their contact info can be found in a list searchable by a constituent's postal code here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/SenatorsMembers.aspx?Language=E or in a list of the MPs that can be sorted by name, riding and party here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Bill Jeffery, LLB, National Coordinator
Centre for Science in the Public Interest

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I am a constituent in your riding writing to ask for your help to ensure that Bill C-460, The Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada Act, passes a critical vote in the House of Commons in May.

According to Health Canada, the average Canadian consumes about double the recommended amount of sodium which increases blood pressure and raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  Experts estimate that 10,000-16,000 deaths are caused by excess sodium in Canada, three-quarters of which comes from pre-salted processed and restaurant foods.

While there are some low sodium foods on the market—including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables—so many processed foods that my family and I rely on are too salty, including bread, cereal, canned vegetables and seafood, low fat sandwich meat, and tomato sauce.  These are foods that many people consider to be nutritious.  And none of the major restaurant chains provide sodium information on menus (or offer much fresh produce), let alone red-flagging menu items that are too salty for a healthy diet.

Groups that represent people I trust—such as doctors, nurses, dietitians and scientists—back this bill.  Even Prime Minister Harper joined premiers, and provincial health ministers in embracing the ambitious goal of reducing average daily sodium consumption from 3,400 mg per day to 2,300 mg by the year 2016.

I hope you can help achieve that goal and, in doing so, help save thousands of lives and relieve some of the financial strain on Medicare caused by preventable illness.  Bill C-460 would make food companies accountable to their customers by putting high-sodium warnings on labels of foods that are too salty.  If we could make informed choices, companies would try harder to make their food more nutritious.  More than 80% of Canadians support that measure, according to a national poll commissioned by the federal government.

If passed, the bill would also require companies to report nutrition information about their products to a publicly accessible database so governments and the public can keep track of their efforts to meet sodium-reduction targets.   Federal government officials would also be answerable to Parliament by annual reports on, for example, regulatory action to protect children from advertising salty foods, make food labels more informative and less misleading, and ensure public funds are not spend on salty foods.

I hope you will support the sensible public health measures proposed in Bill C-460 and encourage other MPs to support it when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons in May.  If you oppose the bill, please write to me to explain why.

Sincerely,

This message will be emailed to:


	Action Alert

	Dear friends and colleagues, It has been a very long time since Parliament has considered such an important opportunity to save so many lives. Bill C-460, The Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada Act was introduced in the House of Commons last November by MP and Deputy Leader of the Official opposition, Libby Davies, to help reduce the 16,000 deaths caused by excess sodium in the food supply. We are working hard to enlist the support of MPs from all parties to support this bill and it looks like it might be a close vote. Please help ensure this bill is passed into law by sending the letter below to your Member of Parliament before the bill comes to a vote in May 2013. Simply by entering your postal code (which automatically inserts your MP's name), as well as your name, etc. you can adapt as you like the model letterto your MP. A growing list of (42 and counting) health groups and experts are backing the bill, including the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Nurses, Dietitians of Canada, the Canadian Association of Pharmacists, and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. See: http://www.cspinet.org/canada/foodsodium.html for an up-to-date list of most of them. I really hope you can write your MP. Every vote counts! Even better, follow-up your email with a call or personal meeting with your MP. Their contact info can be found in a list searchable by a constituent's postal code here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/SenatorsMembers.aspx?Language=E or in a list of the MPs that can be sorted by name, riding and party here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E Bill Jeffery, LLB, National Coordinator Centre for Science in the Public Interest About You: (* indicates required information) Last name: * First name: * Email: * Phone number: Address: Address 2: City/Town: Province: Postal Code: * Comment: (Share a private message with campaign organizers. Let us know if your MP incorrectly matches your postal code.) Privacy Policy: The contact information on this form or comments you make will be private and confidential and will not be passed on to any individual or organization other than representatives of this campaign. If you wish to give further support, please check the boxes below. I give permission for this campaign to contact me on this issue. I give permission for this campaign to disclose my comments on this issue to Canadian Members of Parliament. Personal Message (Add your message to this email): The email message: I am a constituent in your riding writing to ask for your help to ensure that Bill C-460, The Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada Act, passes a critical vote in the House of Commons in May. According to Health Canada, the average Canadian consumes about double the recommended amount of sodium which increases blood pressure and raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Experts estimate that 10,000-16,000 deaths are caused by excess sodium in Canada, three-quarters of which comes from pre-salted processed and restaurant foods. While there are some low sodium foods on the market—including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables—so many processed foods that my family and I rely on are too salty, including bread, cereal, canned vegetables and seafood, low fat sandwich meat, and tomato sauce. These are foods that many people consider to be nutritious. And none of the major restaurant chains provide sodium information on menus (or offer much fresh produce), let alone red-flagging menu items that are too salty for a healthy diet. Groups that represent people I trust—such as doctors, nurses, dietitians and scientists—back this bill. Even Prime Minister Harper joined premiers, and provincial health ministers in embracing the ambitious goal of reducing average daily sodium consumption from 3,400 mg per day to 2,300 mg by the year 2016. I hope you can help achieve that goal and, in doing so, help save thousands of lives and relieve some of the financial strain on Medicare caused by preventable illness. Bill C-460 would make food companies accountable to their customers by putting high-sodium warnings on labels of foods that are too salty. If we could make informed choices, companies would try harder to make their food more nutritious. More than 80% of Canadians support that measure, according to a national poll commissioned by the federal government. If passed, the bill would also require companies to report nutrition information about their products to a publicly accessible database so governments and the public can keep track of their efforts to meet sodium-reduction targets. Federal government officials would also be answerable to Parliament by annual reports on, for example, regulatory action to protect children from advertising salty foods, make food labels more informative and less misleading, and ensure public funds are not spend on salty foods. I hope you will support the sensible public health measures proposed in Bill C-460 and encourage other MPs to support it when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons in May. If you oppose the bill, please write to me to explain why. Sincerely, This message will be emailed to: