The Big Apple has become the first ever city to implement the salt warning labels in the United States. With the implementation of the sodium labelling in New York this Tuesday, many questioned this move by the city's health department.
Restaurants in New York City must label their food items that contain more than the recommended daily sodium limit with a black salt icon. They have 90 days to comply with the new rule as reported by 9News. New York health board passed the law last September and the lawmakers hope that Americans will cut back their salt intake.
But can this new rule influence what people order? ABC News reports that numbers or warning labels have little influence on consumers' decision. A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Public Health reveals that people bought more food items with high-calories content when calorie labelling was rolled out.
Meanwhile, a different study observed eating habits of New Yorkers. It was found out that when restaurants started labelling calorie counts, consumers became accustomed to it and ignored them afterwards.
In one of the interviews by the news site, CEO of Apple-Metro Inc., Zane Tankel, said that the labels have been implemented for weeks now. He has asked around how people have taken the labelling after a month and it doesn't appear to have any significant impact on consumers.
More so, the national Restaurant Association has planned to file a lawsuit against New York City health department as reported by Capital New York.
"While the Board of Health thinks they are targeting corporate chains, in reality they are dealing yet another blow to many of New York's small businesses that have been working and continue to work hard to provide nutritional access to their customers," said Christin Fernandez, spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association. "That is why we are taking legal action against this latest assault which goes too far, too fast for New York's restaurant community."
While the intent behind the rule is to change people's eating habits and improve health, New York City might just bail out on this one again.
