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. The symbol, a saltshaker in a black triangle, will be placed next to any food item on a menu that contains 2,300 milligrams or more of sodium, the equivalent of the daily recommended intake, according to the New York Times.
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A new era in nutritional warnings is going to start in New York City, this week, wherein the chain restaurants will need to place a special symbol on highly salty dishes.
In the battle to ensure consumers know exactly what they’re getting in a meal, chain restaurants in NY are being required to issue salt “warnings” starting Tuesday for foods with an outsized amount of sodium.
Dr. Mary T. Bassett, the city’s health commissioner, has said that the measure is meant to help the city combat rampant health disease problems, which is the leading cause of death in NY and in America overall. The warning statement must explain that items with the icon have more than the recommended daily limit of sodium and that high sodium intake may increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.
The move mirrors decisions made by the administration of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ban trans fats, require menus to include calorie counts and limit the size of sugary sodas.
“We’re talking about a leading cause of death here”, Bassett said at a recent news conference. The New York State Court of Appeals ruled the board “exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority”.
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According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, most of the sodium people take in on a regular basis comes from processed foods and at restaurants. The study confirms “that those who purchase food in fast-food restaurants with calorie postings are more likely to report seeing and using the calorie information to order food with fewer calories”. Additionally, they said the costs associated, including reprinting menus, could be a financial burden for the restaurant owners. The Board of Health is the governing body that oversees the Department of Health.
