A new pyramid-shaped warning symbol is starting to appear on some restaurant menus in New York City, the first city in the country to require chain restaurants to place a warning label on food or drink items containing more than 50 grams of added sugar.
Why It Matters
According to a 2024 study from the market research company Talker Research, the average American far exceeds recommended intake levels when it comes to their daily sugar consumption. The survey analyzed the habits of 2,000 Americans and found the average individual ingests 99 grams of sugar each day.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that added sugars do not exceed 10 percent of one’s total daily calories, which, for a 2,000-calorie diet, amounts to 48 grams of sugar.
Obesity is a problem that impacts millions of Americans, bringing with it higher risks of developing health problems like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 40.3 percent of U.S. adults were obese between August 2021 and August 2023, with higher rates reported among those aged 40 to 59.
What To Know
According to a statement from the New York City Department of Health shared with Newsweek, “New York City chain restaurants must now post an icon on their menus next to any prepackaged food or drink or non-packaged equivalent that contains 50 grams (g) or more of added sugars, the daily recommended limit for a 2,000 calorie diet.”
The rule will also require chain restaurants to “warn consumers of the health dangers associated with eating and drinking too many added sugars over time, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and tooth decay.”
The law applies to approximately 4,000 restaurants in New York City that are part of chains with 15 or more locations nationwide.
This legislation was first passed in 2023 and applies to prepackaged food items that have a Nutrition Facts Label and equivalent non-packaged items.
What People Are Saying
Acting New York Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said in a press release shared with Newsweek: “Every New Yorker deserves access to delicious, healthy food that they feel good about eating. As the first in the nation to add a warning icon for added sugars, this rule underlines our longstanding work to ensure New Yorkers have information about the food they eat. Just one large sugary drink can exceed the daily recommended amount of added sugars. Through this rule, we aim for New Yorkers to have more insight into the amount of sugar in certain products to make more informed choices.”
What Happens Next
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that he is looking at issues which are driving what he has termed the U.S “Obesity epidemic,” in his bid to “make America Healthy Again.” This could mean there are further changes to come to the way Americans consume food and drink.