Consumer Group Sues Denny’s Over Sodium Levels

Are there skyrocketing sodium levels in your Lumberjack Scramble? A consumer activist group sued Denny’s Corp. on Thursday, saying that the diner’s menus should reveal the amounts of sodium in its meals.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that it had held negotiations with Denny’s over sodium levels earlier this year, but did not receive an adequate response. The lawsuit says the meals are “dangerously high in sodium,” citing menu items like the Meat Lover’s Scramble: the dish has 5,690 milligrams of sodium, or the equivalent of nearly three days’ advised maximum salt intake. “For those Americans who should be most careful about limiting their sodium, such as people middle-aged and older, African-Americans, or people with existing high blood pressure, it’s dangerous to eat at Denny’s,” said CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson.

CPSI filed the lawsuit on behalf of 48-year-old Nick DeBenedetto, who says he suffers from high blood pressure. DeBenedetto was unaware of the sodium content in the food he chose from Denny’s. The lawsuit alleges that the amount of salt in the food put the restaurant chain’s customers at risk for a host of health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

The CPSI also petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to regulate salt as a food additive, as opposed to a safe ingredient. Most health officials acknowledge that excessive sodium consumption is a problem, but have thus far stopped short of the CPSI’s extreme tactics.

AUTHOR: Annette Hulbert