With the announcement, New York City becomes the first city in the nation to require chain restaurants to post warning labels next to menu items that contain high levels of sodium.
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Under the rule, a salt-shaker emblem will be needed on some salads, sandwiches and other menu items, climbing the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is roughly a teaspoon.
New York City’s high salt warning law went into effect on Tuesday, forcing chain restaurants there to point out their high-sodium dishes with a symbol – a little salt shaker inside a triangle. She noted that the majority of New Yorkers consume too much sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease, “the leading cause of death in the United States and in our city”. The city will collect $200 fines to restaurant that does not show the symbol in their menus from March 1st. For those 51 and older, for African-Americans and those with high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, the recommendation is no more than 1,500 mg per day.
In an article in Capital New York, NRA spokeswoman Christin Fernandez said the board “is dealing yet another blow” to numerous city’s locally owned restaurants.
Chances are good Mayor Bill de Blasio will be paying close attention to his heath department’s new warnings about sodium content, WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb reported.
As the NRA asserts that the latest round of sodium mandates exceed the scope of the board’s regulatory authority, consumers are still struggling to understand just how much sodium exists in the foods they eat. Among these are required calorie counts, city-banned smoking, and limits on sugary drinks, the World Street Journal said. The Board of Health is the governing body that oversees the Department of Health.
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The industry says the new sodium rule is unnecessary in light of federal regulations that will take effect next year. “Luckily, Chirlane is very, very adamant about reducing the use of salt, so my hand has been slapped many times”. Additionally, they said the costs associated, including reprinting menus, could be a financial burden for the restaurant owners.
