Chain restaurants in the city will have to mark excessively sugar-laden foods on their menus if the City Council approves a bill mandating the measure Thursday — and those that don’t comply by next summer could face hundreds of dollars in fines.
“We see a major crisis in the city – and beyond it – when it comes to nutrition and obesity,” Councilmember Keith Powers, the bill’s sponsor, told Gothamist. “We are trying to make New Yorkers eat healthier and live healthier lifestyles.”
More than half of the 51-member Council is backing the bill, almost guaranteeing its passage. Under the new measure, restaurants will have to label any menu items – or food on display – with a sugar content that exceeds “100 percent or more of the daily value for added sugars,” as determined by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
“In some instances, some of the products that people pick up on their morning commute exceed the daily sugar value in one item,” Powers said. “That’s concerning.”
The bill targets restaurants with 15 or more locations in the city. Those eateries will face a fine of $200 per violation if they don’t comply. The measure is set to take effect on June 19, 2024.
The bill is reminiscent of other city-wide initiatives aimed at getting New Yorkers to make healthier food choices. The city previously adopted a measure that had businesses label high-sugar, pre-packaged foods.
“If we give people the information, we think they will be able to make better decisions,” Powers said. “Maybe they’ll switch out an item, maybe they’ll change the exact order so it’s less sugary, maybe they’ll totally disregard getting that item anymore. It’s all about driving people towards better behavior.”
Diets high in sugar are frequently linked with higher obesity rates which have steadily climbed in New York City since 2003, according to city data. More than half of city residents are overweight or obese, according to data from the…
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