New York City’s salt warning on menus to take effect

NEW YORK, N.Y. – 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.

According to the new rules, which were recently unveiled by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, restaurant chains that have over 15 restaurants statewide are required to place a dark triangle with a light-colored salt shaker at its center near the food items that have more than a teaspoon (or 2,300 mg) worth of salt.

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. It noted a “well-established connection” between sodium intake and high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Mary Bassett, the city’s…

In a press conference Monday, the New York City Health Department said the vast majority of New Yorkers consume more than the recommended amount of sodium and they don’t even know it.

Check out this infographic, which shows that, when you add up the slices of bread, cured turkey meat and cheese, a sandwich could serve up some 1,500 mg of sodium – more than half the recommended daily limit.

Chances are good Mayor Bill de Blasio will be paying close attention to his heath department’s new warnings about sodium content, WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb reported.

Tiny saltshaker symbols will appear on chain restaurant menus across the city in an effort to fight increasing numbers of heart disease and stroke, writes Reuters.

How much sodium is in some fast food favorites?

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

At Chipotle, a burrito with chicken, white rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, cheese and guacamole runs 2,380 mg. His predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, was known for his attempts to limit unhealthy habits of New Yorkers.

Not everyone is pleased about the city’s latest move. “Every one of these cumbersome new laws makes it tougher and tougher for restaurants to find success”, said Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York State Restaurant Association. But that just went out the window for hungry New Yorkers.