UPDATE: Enforcement of a New York City law requiring chain restaurants to label high-sodium items on their menus was temporarily stopped by an appeals court judge late Monday, according to a statement from the National Restaurant Association, which is fighting the law.
“The association is pleased by today’s decision to grant emergency relief for the men and women that own and operate New York’s restaurants from this unlawful and unprecedented sodium mandate,” the NRA said.
NEW YORK -- A New York State Supreme Court judge has upheld New York City's Board of Health’s controversial sodium-labeling mandate. The rule requires chain restaurants to post salt icons next to items with 2,300 milligrams or more of sodium, the total recommended daily limit. The rule also requires chain foodservice establishments to post a warning statement where customers place their orders
Starting March 1, chains with 15 or more locations nationwide must comply with the new requirement before the possibility of receiving a fine.
Chains such as Applebee’s, Subway, TGI Friday’s and the Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters have already begun to implement the rule, the health department said.
New York is the first city in the nation to require chain restaurants to post warning icons next to menu items that contain high levels of sodium. The National Restaurant Association had sued the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene to block the law, calling it "an arbitrary and capricious mandate" and arguing among other points that there is still disagreement within the medical community about what is an unhealthy level of sodium in food, according to a report by Restaurant Business.
But Judge Eileen Rakower rejected the motions to halt enforcement, noting that the regulation does not prohibit restaurants from including salt. Rather, she noted, they merely have to indicate which items contain at least 2,300 milligrams of salt, a level widely regarded as the recommended daily limit for adults. Consumers can decide whether to go ahead and order those dishes.
Knowledge is power, she said.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.