New York City restaurants can be free of high salt content food as post warnings on menu items with high salt content can go ahead, an appellate court decided Thursday.
It was initialized by one of the judges, after the stay by the Appellate Division in Manhattan by its again hailed by Mayor deBlasio.
"New Yorkers deserve to know a whole day's worth of sodium could be in one menu item," the mayor said in a statement.
The mayor pleased that the appellate judges appear to agree with a lower court judge who said the city's Board of Health had the power to adopt the rule.
"Too much sodium could lead to detrimental health problems, like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke," the mayor said. "Allowing enforcement of a common sense regulation ... will help New Yorkers make better decisions and lead healthier lives."
However, the National Restaurant Association opposes the regulation as the rule is new of its kind. It would implement only after full hearing is done.
The association contends that the Board of Health didn't have the power to act without first getting City Council approval.
The new rule applies to chains that have 15 or more restaurants operating anywhere in the U.S. It requires owners to post a salt shaker inside a black triangle as a warning next to any item that has more than 2,300 milligrams of salt. The penalty is $200 per violation, according to a report by the Board of Health.
"We would hope that the NYC Department of Health voluntarily delays enforcement pending a hearing and determination of our appeal later this year. We look forward to a full and fair opportunity to make our case on behalf of NYC restaurants," the National Restaurant Association said in a statement
She also said the Board of Health "did not act outside the bounds of its authority in the area of public health by adopting a rule requiring chain restaurants to post sodium warning labels."
City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett confirmed that restaurant chains throughout the city have already started to post warning labels on their menus.
"This is a tremendous victory for the health of New Yorkers and a wonderful tribute to National Stroke Awareness Month," she said in a statement
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