NYC to Chain-Restaurants: Put Salt Warnings on Menus

The New York City Board of Health Wednesday voted unanimously to require chain-restaurants to post warnings on menu items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of salt, considered the daily limit of sodium.

The amount equals a teaspoon’s worth, reports the New York Post, and the warnings will be the first of its kind in the nation. Menu items with more than 2,300 milligrams will carry a salt shaker icon.

On average, Americans consume about 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, according to studies.

“This really represents, to me, the next step in allowing usable information for our community to make better health decisions,” board member Dr. Deepthiman K. Gowda told the Post. “My hope is that this impacts not only consumer practices but also impacts the practices of our restaurants.”

Predictably, the salt producer’s trade group, the Salt Institute, does not agree with the warnings.

“This is another example of the government creating policy based on outdated, incorrect sodium guidelines,” said president Lori Roman in a statement to the Post.

The new requirement takes effect in NYC on Dec. 1.

Click here to read the full story on the New York Post website.