“While the Board of Health thinks they are targeting corporate chains, in reality they are dealing yet another blow to many of New York’s small businesses that have been working and continue to work hard to provide nutritional access to their customers”, said Christin Fernandez, spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association.
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The new law applies only to restaurants with 15 or more locations across the country, and any non-compliant chain restaurant could face fines up to $200 for each offending violation, according to the New York Times.
The symbol, which looks like a salt shaker, will appear alongside any selection that includes more than the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams, or about a teaspoon of salt.
Still, Americans tend to eat more than the recommended daily limit regularly-around 3,400 mg of sodium per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, New Yorkers consume slightly less salt – about 3,239 mg of salt on a daily basis – a health department report shows.
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.
The health department named cardiovascular disease ats the leading cause of death in New York City – responsible for 17,000 deaths in 2013. Michael Bloomberg, his predecessor, banned smoking in public places and required fast food restaurants to list the calorie count of their foods.
But Zane Tankel, CEO of Apple Metro, the NY metropolitan area franchisee for Applebee’s, took the new rule in stride.
A separate study tracked New Yorkers’ eating habits specifically.
Though the restaurants are asked to use the salt warning on Tuesday.
According to Mary Bassett, New York’s heath commissioner, this measure can help the public be aware of the salt content of the food they usually order. The chain, which declined to comment on the association’s plan to sue, also removed salt from its bread bowl and its Italian combo sandwich.
“Local mandates like the one the Board of Health put forth unravel that uniformity”, the trade group said.
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Health advocates are hopeful that the sodium symbols will prompt consumers to make other behavioral changes.
