How NYC Salt Warning Could Affect Your Dinner

“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.

Under the rule, a salt-shaker emblem will be needed on some salads, sandwiches and other menu items, climbing the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is roughly a teaspoon.

New York City diners will now see little black triangles on restaurant menus to denote high-sodium dining choices.

The new salt warning label rule in NYC applies to chain restaurants or those with a minimum of 15 establishments in the country.

If restaurants don’t add the sodium warning symbols, they will be fined $200. The health department noted a “well-established connection” between sodium intake and high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

According to the city government, the average adult in New York City consumes almost 40 percent more sodium than he or she should each day. But New York City has always been a pioneer in dietary restrictions.

The sodium warning label pressed by Mayor Bill de Blasio echoed a series of efforts by his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, including banning smoking in public places and requiring fast food joints to post calorie counts. The New York State Court of Appeals ruled the board “exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority”.

The city’s Health Department disagreed, saying in a statement that the study’s findings apply “only to a predominantly low-income high-minority population”.

Your favorite New York pizza slice might now come with a warning label thanks to a new regulation in New York City that aims to make consumers aware of salt levels in their food.

The resolution to post high-salt warnings was first adopted in September but was first enacted Dec 1. Additionally, they said the costs associated, including reprinting menus, could be a financial burden for the restaurant owners.