According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a new statewide poll suggests that over 75% of New York residents support including a warning icon on chain restaurant menu items that exceed the total daily recommended serving of added sugars.  CSPI has stated that the results were consistent across all demographic and political groups. CSPI also claims that the survey suggests that New Yorkers struggle to identify menu items that may contain significant added sugars.

The triangle icon suggested in the survey featured a proposed warning that would appear at the bottom of the menu stating, “Item exceeds the total daily recommended limit for added sugars (50g) based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines advises limiting added sugars.” The New York City Council considered but did not pass a bill in 2019 that would have required a similar warning for added sugars.

The New York City Council recently passed a bill that requires food service establishments to display public information messaging created by the Department of Health about healthy eating topics, including risks of excessive sugar and carbohydrate intake. New York City currently requires restaurants to display a salt shaker icon on menus next to food items that have a high sodium content (>2,300 mg). If a menu has an icon, the following warning must also appear on the menu: “Warning: [salt shaker icon] indicates that the sodium (salt) content of this item is higher than the total daily recommended limit (2300 mg).  High sodium intake can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.”