Philadelphia is working to reduce sodium in Chinese take out.
According to FOX News, organizers have recruited more than 200 eateries across Philadelphia for the city's Healthy Chinese Takeout Initiative, which aims to reduce the food's salt content by 10 percent to 15 percent.
The group is looking to make several changes, in Chinese eateries, such as flavoring orders with chilies or garlic instead of sodium; using less sauce; distributing soy sauce packets only on demand; and posting nutrition information.
According to Dietary guidelines, it's recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams, a teaspoon, of salt per day. According to FOX News, an order of chicken lo mein from local takeouts averaged 3,200 milligrams, while shrimp with broccoli had 1,900 milligrams.
Based on a 2012 survey by the Public Health Management Crop, Philadelphia has focused on salt consumption because 37 percent of residents have high blood pressure. The number jumps to 47 percent for African-Americans.
According to FOX News, the group's effort is trying to get people to eat better. Health Commissioner Donald Schwarz said the multi-agency initiative, which began about a year ago, focuses on mom-and-pop Chinese joints because they are "an enormous industry" in the city, serving about 3 million meals a year.
Schwarz said people are more attracted to meals that are cheap and easily available, especially people living in low-income neighborhoods. According to Schwarz, some of those neighborhoods are lacking supermarkets an access to fresh produce.
"In some restaurants, the restaurateurs were really taken aback by the amount of sodium in their food," Schwarz said, according to FOX News.
According FOX News, organizers offered a series of low-sodium cooking classes last summer with the goal of changing the ingredients but not the taste. Nine months later, salt content in those two dishes was down 20 percent in samples from 20 restaurants. Researchers plan to test the food again in a few months, and expand the program to other items.
Steven Zhu, president of the Greater Philadelphia Chinese Restaurant Association was recruited participant in the study, but others denied out of fear of losing their business.
The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based organization that promotes healthy eating, praised the city for working with the takeouts instead of pointing fingers. The eateries are community gathering points and not going away anytime soon, noted spokeswoman April White.
