A report released last month by the Institute of Medicine has found that the high salt content in supermarket and restaurant foods has reached unsafe levels, and urges government officials and the F.D.A. to step in and regulate. High sodium leads to elevated blood pressure and can result in heart disease, and there is no current limit as to how much companies can put in their products. The report urges the F.D.A. to institute a gradual reduction of the maximum amount of salt that can be used in food preparation. According to research, regulating salt use could prevent up to 100,000 deaths each year.