Salt Warning Label should be Added on Restaurant Menus

New York City has recently added warning labels for salt intake to many chain food restaurants. This was done by food regulators in hopes to educate people on what they are eating. However, the restaurants are planning to sue claiming that these regulations are overstepping legal bounds because these rules have not yet been mandated. Several of these chains had to place salt-shaker icons on menu items that were over the recommended daily limit, which is precisely 2,300 milligrams of sodium. This equivalents to about a teaspoon of salt a day. These warnings would generally be placed on fatty foods such as burgers and pizza. These warnings appear beneficial to me. I think by doing this, America could fight the alarming number of obese persons. Having these labels could make consumers more aware, since many of us do not know what we are actually eating. Although fast food is quite convenient, it's really unhealthy for you.

A copy of the suit revealed the following: "Ironically, this regulation will confuse and mislead consumers into potentially making less healthy food choices through the law's spotty, inconsistent application and inaccurate scientific distortions," Since these companies generally sell very few healthy options, they are dependent on sales of what they do sell. By adding these labels, customers will be forced to know what they are in taking. The association also claims that: "the health board overstepped its legal bounds and is muddying waters at a time when federal regulators are working on nationwide menu labeling rules. The suit also brands the salt warning "nonsensical" in applying to only some food vendors and argues it violates restaurateurs' free speech rights by forcing them to post a warning they dispute as based on "scientifically controversial opinion."

In my opinion these labels aren't taking away any rights from restaurants. All companies already must include these details about food. Although they are not found directly at the restaurant rather online, this information is needed. One reason for this is due to the fact that many people have food allergies. So company's need to have this information available to them. Many people do not think about what they are putting into their bodies. Within this article it claimed that a cheeseburger can generally have about 4,000mg of salt and even a salad can have about 3,000mg of salt. Who would ever imagine something as healthy as a salad having this much salt within it. Having a high-intake of salt can result in several health issues including: high blood pressure, obesity, and other health issues as well. One should really consider their health before ordering these types of "food".
New York has faced issues related to healthy eating measure before, so this is nothing new to them. The court results have been about even. Critically thinking, I feel that these chain companies will not be successful in this law suit. These guidelines are to help consumers not harm them. These labels will roughly appear on about 10-15% of menu items. Which is not a large number at all surprisingly. That is however, if these laws are strictly enforced and the lawsuit is won by the health department. Some companies are in favor of this new law. Companies such as Panera and Applebee's have been large supporters of this.

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