So, New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, has taken action. Any item with a salt shaker icon beside it contains at least 2,300 milligrams of sodium-about a teaspoon, and the equivalent of the daily recommended dose. The health department noted a “well-established connection” between sodium intake and high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Now New York will also be the first U.S. city to tackle excess salt consumption with new menu labels.
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The icon is a white salt shaker inside a black triangle, and it’s meant to warn diners about the black-and-white difference between the recommended amount of sodium and too much salt. Schlotzsky’s medium-sized Turkey Original-Style sandwich has 2,630 mg of salt, TGI Friday’s sesame jack chicken strips have 2,700 mg and Red Robin’s Monster Salted Caramel Milkshake contains 3,399 mg of sodium.
The NRA says it wants uniform, nationwide labeling that gives consumers across the country the same nutritional information.
“I think this is another important initiative along with the calorie labeling rule”, Blake said in a statement.
A similar study using receipt data collected in 2007 from over 6,500 transactions occurring at fast food chain outlets in NYC demonstrated that the sodium content of 20 percent of meals exceeded the daily recommended sodium intake limit. Processed foods are full of it, and that’s a problem for our health.
Others said they’d still order sodium-laden dishes – but are now thinking twice about adding additional salt on their own. The plan faces opposition and a potential court challenge from restaurant groups and salt producers.
As of Tuesday, some NYC restaurant chains will post high-salt warnings on their menus in a bid to help New Yorkers make informed choices when it comes to their health.
NEW YORK (AP) New York City begins a new era in nutritional warnings this week, when chain restaurants will have to start putting a special symbol on highly salty dishes.
Nevertheless, Americans rarely go by these recommendations and they eat a lot more salt than what is considered to be healthy.
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Chain restaurants that will violate this rule stand to be slapped with a $200 fine, although it is reported that fines will not be issued until March.
