A new New York City rule will put "warning statements" on sugary chain restaurant items

New York City is just a few weeks out from a new set of rules which will require chain restaurants to post warning labels on sugary items. According to Giulia Heyward with Gothamist, the Sweet Truth Act — which Mayor Eric Adams signed into law last year — requires food service establishments with 15 or more locations nationally to "warn customers of any menu items that contain at least 50 grams of added sugar." This will be done with both a "warning statement" and a small spoon icon.

The roll-out of Sweet Truth Act comes at a time when more Americans are trying to be mindful of their consumption of hidden sugars and ultra-processed foods.“We want to give people an opportunity to understand how much sugar they are consuming everyday,” the bill’s sponsor, City Councilmember Keith Powers of Manhattan, told the publication.

He continued: “We’ve seen single items in chain food businesses be in excess of the daily recommended amount so we think that New Yorkers should have an opportunity to at least at the minimum know what they are consuming each time they walk into one of these stores."

According to Heyward, "the city’s health department is acting in compliance with the Sweet Truth Act," adding that the new rule also "requires chains to pay hundreds of dollars in fines if [stores] don’t add the new warning labels to their menus."