SaltSensibility

Measured by the number of media calls, requests for Salt Institute presentations and webinars and trade press articles, the "salt shortage" stories of last winter were just a warm-up for what we can expect in the coming months. Latest evidence: a story in the Elyria, OH Chronicle-Telegram by reporter Brad Dicken which extracted the pearl of our interview when he told readers:

Although increased fuel and transportation costs are contributing factors to the rise in prices — asphalt also shot up in price this year — last year’s hard winter led to the nation using more salt than normal and leading to an increased demand this year, said Richard Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute.

What a market! Last year's 20.3 million tons of road salt was the second-highest ever. But the year before, 2006, we sold only 12.1 million tons, lowest since 1998. And the year earlier, 2005, set the all-time record of 20.5 million tons. Not too many industries are asked to boost sales by two-thirds in a year as the salt industry did from 2006 to 2007. And, from publicly announced bid amounts we've seen so far this year, agencies want even more.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 06:08 PM | Permalink

It's always gratifying to hear someone saying you're doing a good job. It's especially gratifying when they know what they're talking about.

True Value announced its top suppliers last month and named North American Salt, a unit of Compass Minerals as its 2007 Supplier of the Year in the lawn & garden category. Compass Minerals announced the honor today. Congratulations.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 05:23 PM | Permalink

Dr. Hillel Cohen of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYC and author of several health outcomes studies of the NHANES database, delivered a PowerPoint presentation recently to the Canadian Society of Clinical Nutrition's annual scientific meeting in Toronto. CSCN has rendered a valuable service by putting the presentation online.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 11:12 PM | Permalink

34 Mine Rescue teams faced off July 15-17 in Reno, NV in the MSHA-sponsored 2008 Metal/Nonmetal National Mine Rescue contest. Seven salt companies participated: Morton Salt teams from Grand Saline, TX; Fairport, OH; and Weeks Island, LA; and Cargill Deicing Technology teams from Avery Island, LA; Cayuga mine in Lansing, NY; and two teams from Cargill's Cleveland, OH mine (Whiskey Island and Cuyahoga River). Still awaiting final results, but local coverage featured Cargill's Avery Island team showcasing their lifesaving skills. I'll re-post when the final results are in.

In related news, MSHA announced seven inductees into the Mine Rescue All of Fame including three from salt companies, Rod Etie and Rayward Segura of Cargill's Avery Island, LA mine, and Lee Graham who retired from then-SI member Carey Salt in 1988. Segura was a participant in the inaugural competition in 1971 when the contest was conducted in Lafayette, LA. Congratulations.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 06:28 PM | Permalink

Highway departments are understandably concerned to have enough salt this winter after last year's severe snowfighting season left them scrambling for scarce supplies and entirely emptied the "salt pipeline" everywhere from mines to customer storage facilities. Many increased their bids, putting even more pressure on salt production and distribution. The consequences surfaced in the form of higher bid prices; an example is this from Sandusky, OH.

Even working the mines around the clock, it's going to be tight this year. High water forced closure of the locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River for about four weeks and what consumers see as high gas prices at the pump are adding new costs to both production and, especially, salt distribution. Order early. Store a full year's supply. This age-old advice will be tested this winter.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 07:55 AM | Permalink

The Salt Institute was among 40 associations which have asked Congress to delay implemention of Customs and Border Protection's "10+2 Rule" until the agency can test a prototype to ensure it is workable. The group argued that the new data requirements for U.S.-bound container shipments would cost $20 billion, raising the cost of doing business and raising consumer prices. Rather than enhance homeland security, the measure "creates new security threats by greatly increasing the opportunity for containers to be tampered with" during the additional time needed for the more extensive clearing procedures, the letter avers.

Posted by Dick Hanneman at 06:53 PM | Permalink

The website of WASH (World Action on Salt and Health) states that a double-blind study of modest salt restriction caused a reduction in the severity of asthma attacks and a reduction in the use of medication and an improvement in the measurement of airways resistance. The article concludes with a statement:

"It seems therefore that, while salt is not a direct cause of asthma, a high salt intake can act as a major aggravating factor."

"There is evidence that bronchial reactivity in people with asthma is linked with salt intake. A recent review of epidemiological and intervention studies demonstrated that reducing salt intake may help to reduce the severity of an asthma attack and other breathing problems."

On page 15 of the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) book, Salt-The Forgotten Killer it states that:

"High-salt diets impair lung function and worsen asthma symptoms"

The NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) paper on salt and health, A Critical Review of Current Scientific Evidence indicates in their opening section on sodium intake and non-CVD conditions that:

"Several studies have shown direct associations between sodium intake and other conditions, including ....indicators of asthma."

All four websites claim to be portraying good science, responsible science, all in the public's interest, yet, all four made the relationship between salt and asthma as if there were a solid scientific relationship between the two. Grasping at whatever straws they could to forward their own parochial agendas, they misinformed the public in this matter of health. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for them to retract their statements on the relationship between salt and asthma. It will also be interesting to see if they apologize to their readership for misinforming them.

Today, June 16, 2008, reports started coming in from, among others, CBS, the CBC and The Press Association of the long-anticipated definitive University of Nottingham study to examine the relationship between salt intakes and asthma. The University of Nottingham press release was emblazoned with the title, "Low-sodium advice for asthmatics should be taken with a pinch of salt." The conclusion of their story stated that the new study by researchers at The University of Nottingham found no evidence that cutting back on salt helps patients with their asthma symptoms.

Once more, we see clear incontrovertible evidence of a patently obvious anti-salt movement that is only too willing to spread myth-information and pseudo-science about an issue, long before the actual science has been definitively established.

As I mentioned above, we will be revisiting the websites of these "scientists" in future to see how quickly they correct their misinformation and apologize for it. This may well show "the measure of the man."

Posted by Mort Satin at 01:35 PM | Permalink