NYC Sued for Requiring High Salt Content Labelling on Menus

The US National Restaurant Association has filed a lawsuit challenging a New York City (NYC) law requiring that chain restaurants add salt warning labels to their menus.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Association said as quoted by The New York Daily News on Thursday that the new requirements are "renegade regulating" and the city did not have the authority to enact the measure.

Under the new regulations, chain-restaurants within New York City must display a saltshaker symbol next to menu items that contain more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium. The amount is the daily recommended serving per guidance by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new rules, which took effect on Tuesday, only apply to chain restaurants with 15 or more locations. Violators will be fined starting from March 2016.

A city spokesperson said as quoted by The New York Daily News on Thursday that the authorities were "confident" that the city’s Board of Health acted in line with its authority when imposing the new regulations.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excess sodium consumption contributes to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

The average daily sodium intake for Americans age 2 and older is 3,400 milligrams, nearly 70 percent higher than the recommended limit.