NEW YORK — Some sub sandwiches, movie theater pretzels, and even milkshakes and salads will soon come with a first-of-its-kind salt-warning symbol in New York City after officials agreed Wednesday to stake out new ground in a national push for healthier eating habits.
The city Board of Health voted unanimously to require chain eateries to put salt-shaker emblems on menus to denote dishes with more than the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium. That’s about a teaspoon.
The plan was applauded by public-health advocates but slammed by salt producers and restaurateurs as misguided.
“This really represents, to me, the next step in allowing usable information for our community to make better health decisions,” health board member Dr. Deepthiman K. Gowda said. Members said they hoped the idea would spread.
Experts say sodium is too prevalent in most Americans’ diets, raising the risk of high blood pressure and potentially heart attacks and strokes.
