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‘Sneaky Salt’ Warnings Mandatory Next To Food Items, Rules New York Judge – Such Ominous Indicators Are Detrimental, Claim Restaurant Chains

By Alap Naik Desai
Published on: 22:46 PST, Feb 24, 2016

Restaurants will have to put up salt level warnings on their menu, ruled a New York judge. Restaurant chains, however, are extremely unhappy, claiming such ominous indicators could scare away their customers and hence are detrimental to the business.

A New York judge on Wednesday rejected an appeal by a restaurant trade group and insisted that chain restaurants will have to post warnings alongside menu items that have high salt or sodium content, alerting patrons. The judge upheld an earlier city rule, which was fiercely challenged by the group. Large chain restaurants and fast-food eateries in the Big Apple are now liable to a fine of up to $600 beginning next week if they fail to post salt warnings next to menu items that contain high sodium content and either meet or exceed the recommended daily dose of the substance, ruled Supreme Court Justice Eileen Rakower.

Noting that people who love extra salt in their food won’t mind the warnings, but also noting that such information is critical, Raker said:

“Some people love salty food and are just going to eat those salty foods regardless of whether there’s a salt icon next to it. I believe information is power.”

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Restaurant Association in December. The association had hit New York City’s Board of Health with a lawsuit right after the board ruled last fall that chain restaurants in NYC have to put an ominous salt icon next to menu items with exceptionally high sodium content, reported eCommerce Journal. Interestingly, the board had targeted only restaurant chains and thus marginalized them, claimed the association.

Now that the judge has ruled, restaurants with more than 15 locations will have to use the so-called “sneaky salt” icon. The icon will have to be prominently displayed alongside all menu items that contain 2,300 milligrams or more of sodium, which is about a teaspoon of salt. The daily recommended limit of salt is noted within the Dietary Guidelines drawn by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). Confirming the ruling and terming it a great news for the health of New Yorkers, city mayor de Blasio said,

“If your meal has so much sodium that it merits a salt shaker on the menu, then — for the sake of your health — order something else.”

The ruling is first of its kind in the United States, which mandates the inclusion of a salt shaker encased in a black triangle as a warning symbol next to eatables with high salt content, as they could exceed the consumer’s daily needs and thus endanger the person. High sodium has been linked to multiple health conditions including hypertension, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular diseases. Many people who regularly consume salty foods are prone to kidney diseases like kidney stones, as well. Sodium can also lead to lowered cognitive functions as an indirect effect.

The restaurant chains, however, have argued that the ruling has effectively risked patronage since customers may get confused by such ominous labeling. Confirming that the association intended to appeal the decision, S. Preston Ricardo, a lawyer for the restaurant group, had earlier argued:

“The rule was arbitrary and harmful. It’s just enough information to cause consumers to be confused and ill-informed.”

Ricardo likened the salt-shaker icons to warnings for bio-hazardous material. He argued the salt warnings would steer them to restaurants not required to post them and violate the First Amendment rights of New York restaurant owners forced to post them.

The average American consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium per day, reported The Daily Mail. Quite a few famous items available in New York restaurants, such as an eight-inch BBQ pulled pork sub at Quizno’s, an Italian Combo Sandwich at Panera, or a salt bagel at Dunkin Donuts, have very high salt content, reported NYSE Post.

[Photo by Andrew Burton / Getty Images]

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