New York City To Propose High-Sodium Labels On Chain Menus

On Wednesday, June 10, the New York City Health Department will propose the addition of a high-sodium warning label for chain restaurants.

If approved, New York would become the first U.S. city to adopt such a law.

The proposal would require all chain restaurants in the city to add a salt shaker symbol next to menu items that contain sodium in excess of the daily recommended limit of the 2,300 milligrams of salt, approximately equal to one teaspoon.

Processed foods and restaurant meals, more than meals cooked in the home, are considered the major sources of dietary salt.

Excess sodium intake has been linked to a number of health concerns, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

An estimated 70 percent of adults in the United States are at risk of developing health problems associated with salt consumption, particularly African Americans, diabetics, those with high or elevated blood pressure, and those over the age of 50.