Chain Restaurants In Philadelphia Will Soon Be Required To Post Sodium Warnings On Certain Menu Items
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Chain restaurants in Philadelphia will soon be required to post sodium warning labels on certain menu items. Warnings will be shown for any menu item that has more than the recommended sodium total for an entire day, which is 2,300 milligrams.
The law was passed last year and takes effect at most chain restaurants Saturday.
City officials hope the additional information will help people make better choices.
"One chain has a burger, with all the toppings, has 4,100 milligrams. So with this label, for the first time, customers can easily see which items are extremely high in sodium and if they choose to, they can avoid them," Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.
Officials say Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of hypertension and premature deaths due to heart disease. Health experts say sodium is a big factor.