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 The rule requires restaurants to add a salt-shaker symbol next to
food items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the
maximum daily amount recommended by U.S. health officials. The rule
will go into effect on Dec. 1.
Americans consume 3,400 mg of sodium on average every day, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The rule aims to improve the overall health of New Yorkers and
contribute to Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to reduce premature
mortality by 25 percent by 2040, the city's Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene said.
The rule will apply to all restaurants that are part of chains with
more than 15 locations across the country, which includes companies
such as McDonald's Corp and Yum Brands Inc, which owns the Pizza
Hut, Taco Bell and KFC chains.
But critics, including the restaurant industry, argue the rule hurts
business by imposing unnecessary regulations.
New York City officials have a mixed record on attempts to take on
health concerns by regulating food.
De Blasio's predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, in 2012 famously tried
to ban sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces (473 ml), but the law was
rejected by a state appeals court that ruled he had overstepped his
bounds.
A 2008 New York City law required chain restaurants to post calorie
counts on menus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration later
implemented a similar rule, which will go into effect in December
2016 and require chain restaurants to publicly post calorie
information.
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"This is just the latest in a long litany of superfluous hoops that
restaurants here in New York must jump through," Melissa Fleischut,
president of the New York State Restaurant Association, said in a
statement. "Every one of these cumbersome new laws makes it tougher
and tougher for restaurants to find success."
Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute trade association, also
criticized the rule. She said population-wide sodium reduction is
unnecessary.
Alix Salyers, a spokeswoman for Burger King, said the fast-food
restaurant chain would review New York City's sodium requirements
once they are finalized.
Other impacted restaurants did not immediately respond to requests
for comment.
(Reporting by Katie Reilly; Editing by Susan Heavey and Sandra Maler)
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