Public health advocates have called for tighter restrictions on salt content in food, arguing that cutting the nutrient’s overuse by most Americans could save thousands of lives annually, Reuters reported.

Health experts say excessive salt in Americans’ diets is a major factor in high blood pressure and increases risk for heart disease, while most Americans exceed recommended limits, according to reports.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) cited these factors in urging stricter regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at a public hearing, recently held at the FDA.

The consumer group, whose petition to the FDA prompted the public hearing, says trimming the salt content in processed and restaurant foods by half could save up to 150,000 lives a year by reducing heart-related disease.

The CSPI wants the FDA to beef up labeling, require manufacturers to cut salt in packaged foods, and revoke salt’s “generally recognized as safe” status, subjecting it to stricter regulations as a food additive. Several public health groups are backing the group, Reuters said.

The FDA, which has not considered the issue since 1982, now uses labeling to inform the public about salt, and approves claims such as “low sodium,” reports said.

The American Heart Association advises adults to limit daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams, or about one teaspoon. According to government data, the average American consumes about 3,300 milligrams per day.

Reuters said the CSPI supports moving nutrient labeling to the front of packaging and stricter limits for claims like “low sodium,” giving manufacturers an incentive to cut added salt.

The group says the bulk of sodium in modern diets comes from processed foods like frozen dinners and condiments.

On the other side of the issue, the Grocery Manufacturers Association favors keeping the current regime, arguing that cutting salt too much turns off consumers because of bland taste, and that studies on health risk have not been rigorous enough, Reuters said.