Restaurant Group Threatens to Sue New York City

Restaurant group threatens to sue New York City after the city council passed a new regulation that will make it mandatory for chains of restaurants with more than 15 locations to add high-sodium label warnings on their menus.

A salt-shaker sign should be put on items which contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium – the daily limit recommended.

This measure comes in response to the growing concern regarding the salt consumption among Americans. More studies proved that high amounts of salt increase the risk of high blood pressure and of heart problems.

The National Restaurant Association, a national coalition of more than 380,000 businesses calls this a ‘salt-shaming’ abusive and unnecessary law and announced its intentions of suing the city.

It is not the first time when the coalition opposes a health regulation imposed by the city of New York. They were also outraged by Mayor Bloomberg’s proposition of banning soda, which eventually has been rejected by the State Court of Appeals.

In 2012, Bloomberg proposed a ban on oversized soft-drinks in an attempt to reduce sugar consumption, which leads to diabetes. The regulation limited the size of sugary drinks sold in restaurants, stadiums and movie theaters to 16 ounces cups.

NRA together with the American Beverage Association went in court against the city, saying that the regulation interfered with the choices of the consumers. The judge ruled in their favor, arguing that the rule was arbitrary, since it was supposed to apply only for some business and it didn’t include markets or convenience stores.

Sodium is essential for our cells, to maintain their fluid balance but also for contracting our muscles, for transmitting nerve impulses and also for our digestive system. However, the recommended level is about 1,500 milligrams or 3 grams of salt. Health representatives say that Americans consume far more than this. A cheddar and bacon burger from TGI Friday has 4,280 milligrams of sodium.

Consuming such large quantities of salt on a regular basis can lead to different affections. One of them is water retention that could lead to swelling or edema or even to dehydration that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. But the long-term effects are related to blood pressure. A high blood pressure leads to heart conditions which lead to strokes and death.

Therefore, even if restaurants won’t put labels announcing the high concentration of salt, you should stay away from regularly consuming food you don’t know how has been prepared.

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