NYC Restaurants “Salty” Over New Law

There has been a lot of hype around sodium lately. As of December 1^st, 2015, New York City began to require identification of menu items in chain restaurants that contain more than the daily limit of sodium. While this new law might sound like a step in a healthier direction, there is a lot of heat surrounding this topic and it’s important to understand why.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average American adult should consume less than 2,300mg of sodium per day. It recommends even further reduction to 1,500mg if you are 51 years or older or if you have diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease. If you want to get an idea of how much 2,300mg of sodium is, you can find about the same amount in a single teaspoon of salt.

Not surprisingly the average American consumes way beyond the 2,300mg mark. The average person consumes around 3,400mg per day. What’s the big deal you ask? Persistent over-consumption of sodium can lead to higher blood pressure, higher risk of heart disease, higher risk of a stroke and a higher risk of geriatric cancer.

Our health system is trying to combat the risk of these diseases and make our nation a healthier one over all. About 75% of our daily sodium intake comes from processed foods, including fast foods. Restaurant chains that utilize sodium during processing methods face some tough challenges as this law is put into effect.

In an effort to make New York a little healthier, last September the New York City Board of Health voted to have a label on menu items that have above the recommended sodium content. The symbol is a black triangle with a salt shaker icon in the center. This icon indicates that the menu item has 2,300mg or more of sodium.  Some chain restaurants have menu items such as cheeseburgers than can easily reach 4,000mg of sodium; even some salads can top 3,000mg.  And forget combo meal options, these can contain up to three days’ worth of sodium.

This new standard will be marked on about 10% of menu items in NYC chain restaurants- which make up roughly one-third of the city’s restaurant revenue. This is a new policy issued by Mayor Bill de Blasio whose predecessors targeted smoking and trans-fats. Starting March 1^st of next year, restaurants that do not abide by this law will receive a $200 penalty.

For obvious reasons, selected restaurant chains are upset. The icon is a symbol of an “unhealthy” choice and may drive consumers away from their business. Salt producers are also up in arms. They state that the city is acting on the misconceptions of salt in our diets.  These producers claim that research is inconclusive of sodium’s link to high blood pressure and heart disease. Instead, they believe that this new law is making it more difficult for restaurants to find success.

Despite these claims, the New York City Board of Health is not the food police. They are not telling restaurants what to serve or telling consumers what to eat. They are simply making the public aware of what they are consuming so they can make healthier decisions if they so choose.

As of now, 1 in 10 Americans are meeting the 2,300 mg recommendation for sodium; and heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Hopefully with efforts towards sodium reduction in one major city, a domino effect will result in nationwide changes to reduce our risk for chronic diseases in the future.

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