NY City Trying Again to Require Calorie Content

Last month a federal judge threw out the New york City regulation that would have required restaurants to provide calorie contents for their dishes.  (See Judge Throws Out New York Rule Requiring Restaurants to Post Calories , New York Times, 9-12-07).

Now New York City is trying again.   City Tries Again With Labeling Fast-Food Menus (NYT, 10-24-07). Exerpt:

The new regulation would apply to all restaurants with 15 outlets or more across the country, though it’s aimed squarely at the fast food industry. Many chains, like McDonald’s, Burger King and Starbucks, already provide calorie information on their Web sites, or on posters or tray liners available in their restaurants. But health officials say customers rarely see this information before deciding what to order.

A survey by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene this spring found that, excluding Subway restaurants, 97 percent of fast-food customers never saw any nutritional information before or after their purchase.

A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 27 and the Board of Health is expected to vote on the measure in January.

read the NYT article