Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Tom Harkin want those triple- and even quadruple-digit calorie numbers that stare down at New Yorkers from the city’s fast food menu boards to become ubiquitous at chains across the country.
New York’s junior Senator and Harkin, the Senate’s Agriculture Committee Chair, are co-sponsoring the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act. The legislation would require all restaurants with at least 20 locations to post caloric information on all menu boards and drive-through lanes, with additional nutrition facts such as saturated fat, trans-fat, carbohydrates and sodium included on all comprehensive menus.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) adopted a Health Code calorie-posting requirement in January of 2008 and the city began levying fines to fast food franchises in July. Under the city requirement, all chains operating 15 or more locations across the country must display calorie information prominently on menus and menu boards.
“New York City has been at the forefront of innovation to reduce obesity and improve public health, and I believe the nation should follow our lead,” Gillibrand said in a news release. She added that her “common sense” legislation would provide parents and other consumers with the nutritional information they need to make “good choices about their diet.”
