NEW YORK, NY November 19, 2008 —First it was cigarettes. Then trans-fats. Now, Mayor Bloomberg is targeting salt shakers. Well, some of them. Speaking at a food policy conference at Columbia University today, the mayor says he and Health Commissioner Doctor Thomas Frieden are putting together a plan to reduce salt consumption and decrease hypertension and strokes.

BLOOMBERG: For those of you who put salt on your steak or on your salad -- I've asked Tom this , because I'm addicted to doing that -- it's okay. it turns it turns out that most of the salt is in the packaged food, before you get it.

REPORTER: Bloomberg gave almost no details in his talk, and the Health Department declined to elaborate.

The city doesn't have authority over packaged foods. Last month, the mayor and Frieden met with food industry representatives. They discussed a voluntary initiative to reduce public salt intake by 20 percent over five years.