Salt, which is known to contribute to high blood pressure, is consumed at about twice the recommended amount in the US, on average, despite the frequent warnings of health experts to cut back. Consumption has drifted upward over the past 30 years to the point where Americans are now consuming about 4,000 milligrams of sodium per day.

CSPI is filing a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in federal court to compel the agency to classify salt as a "food additive." Presently, FDA classifies salt as GRAS, or "Generally Recognized as Safe," which means that it is not closely regulated.

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CSPI also is urgently recommending that consumers choose lower-sodium foods and is proposing that the FDA phase in reasonable limits on the salt content of foods that provide the most salt to the diet.