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Food

High Sodium Labeling Starts Tuesday At Chain Restaurants In NYC


By

Nell Casey

Published Nov 30, 2015

Modified Nov 30, 2015


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Is case you forgot what salt is

 

Shutterstock / Levent Konuk


By

Nell Casey

Published Nov 30, 2015

Modified Nov 30, 2015


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We love our salt but we're definitely eating too much of it—or not? Regardless, tomorrow the Board of Health will implement its measure to add warning labels on dishes exceeding 2,300 milligrams of sodium at chain restaurants in the city, reports the AP. In September, the Board of Health unanimously voted in the measure, which would affect any chain restaurant in New York City that operates 15 or more locations in the United States.

Beginning tomorrow, dishes that exceed the Board's recommendation will be denoted with an icon of a salt shaker inside a triangular warning sign, making menu navigation not dissimilar to cruising down the highway. "With a simple menu icon and statement to alert restaurant customers which items have exceedingly high sodium, New Yorkers will have easily accessible information that can affect their health," the Health Department previously stated. Restaurant goers will also be faced with the already-implemented calorie counts, both of which they're welcome to ignore.

It's expected that 3,000 restaurants will be expected to label their sodium-heavy dishes, including spots like T.G.I. Friday's with their 4,280 milligrams of sodium New York cheddar and bacon burger and, yes, even "healthier" alternatives like some menu combinations at Chipotle. Officials say that chain restaurants account for about 1/3 of the city's restaurant business; an estimated 10% of menu items at these types of restaurants are expected to be labeled. The measure goes into practice officially tomorrow, but fines won't be levied for non-compliance until March of next year.

Tagged

board of health

chain restaurants

SALT

salt ban

sodium

warning labels


Nell Casey

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