News

Judge strikes down NY calorie-counts rule, NRA reacts

September 11, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. — TheNational Restaurant Associationhas issued a statement in response to Tuesday's U.S. federal district court decision to strike down a New York City Board of Health regulation requiring mandatory caloric labeling in many of the city's chain restaurants.

The New York State Restaurant Association was the plaintiff in the case and U.S. District Court Judge Richard Holwell issued the ruling.

"We are encouraged by and appreciative of today's court decision," said Peter Kilgore, acting interim president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "This decision highlights some of the flaws in the New York City Board of Health's regulation, which would have attempted to punish the very restaurants that are already providing accurate and comprehensive nutrition information to customers in convenient ways, both in the restaurant and on the Web."

The ruling came on the same day the California Assembly passed statewide legislation requiring fast-food outlets and chain restaurants to provide nutrition information at the point of purchase.

Specifically, the California bill requires the number of calories to be posted on menu boards. Printed menus also would provide the amount of calories, grams of saturated fat, trans fats, sodium and carbohydrates.