Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Restaurants Must Add Salt Warnings to Menus Beginning Tuesday

By Trevor Kapp | November 30, 2015 10:55am
 Restaurants will be forced to add this icon to menu items with 2,300 milligrams of salt or more, beginning Tuesday.
Restaurants will be forced to add this icon to menu items with 2,300 milligrams of salt or more, beginning Tuesday.
View Full Caption
Health Department

MIDTOWN — Chain eateries across the boroughs will be forced to place warning icons next to menu items that contain more than the recommended daily sodium starting Tuesday as part of a citywide initiative to make New Yorkers healthier.

The black-and-white icon must be placed on menus or menu boards next to any food item that has 2,300 milligrams — roughly 1 teaspoon — or more of sodium.

Restaurants will be given a three-month grace period to add the logo, but the Health Department will begin issuing violations on March 1. Eateries that don’t adhere to the rule can be fined up to $200, the Health Department said.

Chains with 15 or more U.S. locations are subject to the rule.

The plan is part of a nationwide goal to reduce salt intake among Americans, who on average consume about 50 percent more sodium than the daily recommendation, according to the Health Department.

Consuming too much sodium has been linked to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.