The Philadelphia City Council has passed a law requiring chain restaurants operating within the city to have sodium warning labels on its menu for high-sodium items – and the American Heart Association (AHA) couldn’t be happier about it.
“The science is clear that eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and other serious public health issues impacting our communities,” said AHA CEO Nancy Brown in a statement. “Most Americans eat unsafe levels of sodium without realizing it.”
Restaurants will be required to identify menu items exceeding 2,300 mg of sodium with a sodium warning label, which the AHA says will allow customers to make informed decisions about their food. Philadelphia is the second U.S. city to pass this type of legislation, following New York City Board of Health’s historic vote in 2015.
“More than 70 percent of the sodium consumed is added to food before it reaches our plates in restaurants, processed and prepackaged foods,” said Brown, who commended Philadelphia and New York City for driving sodium reduction.
“Consumers deserve nutrition transparency and a warning label is a positive step in helping inform the public about the risk of excessive sodium consumption.”