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New York City health board approves sodium warnings on menus (w/video)

 
Published Sept. 10, 2015

NEW YORK — The New York City Board of Health unanimously approved a measure Wednesday that will require many chain restaurants to post a warning label on menu items that have a high sodium content.

The rule, thought to be the first of its kind in the country, will use a salt shaker encased in a black triangle as the warning symbol to be placed next to any menu item that contains more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the daily limit many nutritionists recommend.

Health experts said the measure would help combat heart disease and set a new standard for nutritional transparency that could soon be widely adopted.

Offerings as varied as a large turkey club at Quiznos (5,820 milligrams) and a half-rack of ribs at T.G.I. Friday's (2,420 milligrams) will be marked with the warning, a step that health experts said would show New Yorkers just how much salt was hidden in seemingly unobjectionable dishes.

City officials said they hope other cities will move to adopt a similar system. New York City is seen as a bellwether in public-health policies, and previous initiatives, like the posting of calorie counts on menus and a ban on trans fats, have been widely embraced across the country.

The measure is set to take effect Dec. 1, barring litigation from opponents, and violators would be punished by a $200 fine, enforced by city health inspectors.