California Restaurants To Give Nutrition Details In Menus

In order to control the increasing problem of obesity in the country, California is going to become the first state where a new law will come into force which requires chain restaurants to display the calorie count on their menus and indoor menu boards.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill in this regard on Tuesday.

The bill was authored by Sens. Alex Padilla (D- Pacoima) and Carole Migden (D- San Francisco). California Centre for Public Health Advocacy and the American Cancer Society are also in favour of the bill. It has also been given a stamp of approval by the California Restaurant Association.

According to the new law, chains with 20 or more locations and more than 17000 restaurants in the state will be required to give the information by 2011.

The restaurants who do not abide by the law can be fined $50 to $500 by county health department officials.

According to Schwarzenegger, this law is a step towards creating a nutritional policy that can help curb obesity.

It is estimated that obesity costs the state $28.6 billion in health-care, lost productivity and compensation of workers.

While addressing a news conference outside a Chili’s restaurant, Schwarzenegger said, “When I was in the Austrian army, I drove a tank that weighed 50 tons. Now multiply that by 3,500- that’s as many pounds as California has gained during the past ten years.”

He added, “This legislation will help Californians make more informed, healthier choices by making calorie information easily accessible at thousands of restaurants throughout the state.”

The campaign for making a healthier California is being aimed basically at schools. Gradually junk food and soda are being removed from schools and students are being provided fruits and vegetables.

New York, Seattle and San Francisco are following suit and similar legislations have been approved there. Also, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia have proposed such a law, but its implementation is still pending.

The non-profit organisation named ‘Center for Science in the Public Interest’ is advocating menu labelling nationwide. Their efforts have picked up more in the past two years.

According to Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director of the organisation, “States and cities are interested in menu labelling because of the growing role that chain food restaurants play in American’s diet.”

“Most Americans get a third of their calories from eating out. And unfortunately, restaurant foods play a very problematic role in our diets,” she added.

A poll conducted by Technomic, a restaurant industry consulting firm, in 2008, revealed that 86 per cent of New Yorkers believe that the law is a positive one. Also, New York restaurants are now offering healthier food options.