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NEW YORK, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- New York City diners will now see little black triangles on restaurant menus to denote high-sodium dining choices. A new law goes into effect Tuesday requiring the city's restaurants to identify menu items containing more than the recommended daily maximum of sodium, 2,300 milligrams. The items will be marked the symbol of a salt shaker within a black triangle.
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It follows New York City's banning of trans-unsaturated fats and a requirement for menus to list calorie counts in foods.
The latest regulation is a source of contention for the National Restaurant Association, which said it plans a lawsuit. The restaurant group says the regulation places an "overly onerous and costly burden" on eating establishments already dealing with a state law gradually increasing their employees' minimum wage to $15 per hour.
The rule is "the tipping point for the hardworking men and women that own and operate New York's restaurants," the organization said in a statement. It has also pointed out federal regulations, to take effect in late 2016, which obligate restaurant chains to list nutritional information on its menus, render the city's efforts unnecessary.
The law applies only to restaurants with 15 or more locations nationally, as well as concession stands at stadiums and movie theaters. A $200 fine will be assessed for violators.
The lawsuit is reminiscent of a 2014 plan by New York City to ban the sale of soda in oversized cups, an effort successfully beaten by the restaurant and beverage industries.
Prior attempts to modify customers' eating habits by listing more information on menus have not borne positive results. Researchers at New York University in 2008 sought to find the effect, if any, nutritional information available in New York City's fast food restaurants, such as Wendy's and KFC. About half the customers noticed posted calorie counts and one in 10 were influenced to the point lower-calorie meals were selected.
