Lawmakers Chew On Bill Requiring Nutrition Info On Menus
Bills Pending In At Least 6 States
POSTED: 7:42 am CST February 15, 2005
TRENTON, N.J. -- You want fries with that? How about a calorie count? A new study by Center for Science in the Public Interest and New York University found that even food experts have trouble figuring the calories hidden within a typical restaurant meal. That's why some consumer groups are lobbying for laws requiring restaurants to post calorie numbers and other nutritional content.
More than a half-dozen states are considering such food-labeling rules. In New Jersey, one plan would force chain and fast-food restaurants with 20 or more franchises to post nutrition information on menu boards, including calorie counts, saturated and trans fat, carbohydrates and sodium.Although no state currently has such a law, similar legislation is pending in Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts, the CSPI said in a news release. Many chain restaurants -- from McDonald's to Subway -- already make nutrition information available, but it's not always publicly posted."Most of the largest chain restaurants don't provide nutrition information, and those that do make it hard to find, hard to read, or available only on web sites," said Claudia Malloy, the CSPI's director of grassroots advocacy. "Good nutrition information is available in supermarkets, but people can only guess when they're eating at chain restaurants." But the New Jersey Restaurant Association calls such proposals overkill for an already struggling industry. A spokesman pointed out that 76 percent of all meals are prepared at home."That's where nutrition has to start," the spokesman said.
Discuss: Is Legislation A Good Idea? More than a half-dozen states are considering such food-labeling rules. In New Jersey, one plan would force chain and fast-food restaurants with 20 or more franchises to post nutrition information on menu boards, including calorie counts, saturated and trans fat, carbohydrates and sodium.Although no state currently has such a law, similar legislation is pending in Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts, the CSPI said in a news release. Many chain restaurants -- from McDonald's to Subway -- already make nutrition information available, but it's not always publicly posted."Most of the largest chain restaurants don't provide nutrition information, and those that do make it hard to find, hard to read, or available only on web sites," said Claudia Malloy, the CSPI's director of grassroots advocacy. "Good nutrition information is available in supermarkets, but people can only guess when they're eating at chain restaurants." But the New Jersey Restaurant Association calls such proposals overkill for an already struggling industry. A spokesman pointed out that 76 percent of all meals are prepared at home."That's where nutrition has to start," the spokesman said.
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