New York could become the first city to require chain restaurants to place warnings on their menus next to dishes with high sodium levels.
The Board of Health voted Wednesday to consider a request from the Department of Health to require chain restaurants to post warning labels on menus and menu boards next to items with 2,300 mg or more of sodium.
City officials say the proposed change to the health code is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s effort to reduce early death 20 percent by 2025.
The Department of Health is targeting the city’s chain restaurants for a few reasons. Chain restaurants make up 12.5 percent of all city restaurants and sodium content of food at those establishments is on the rise, according to the city.
