Overview
- The Health Department’s rule took effect this month, requiring a spoon-in-triangle icon next to chain menu items with at least 50 grams of added sugars, the federal daily limit.
- Roughly 4,000 chains across the five boroughs are covered, with restaurants also required to post notices about the health risks of excess sugar.
- Spot checks at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Shake Shack found inconsistent labeling, and several customers said they did not notice the new icon.
- The policy applies only to packaged or identical-to-packaged items, leaving many high-sugar shakes and desserts unmarked, while a pending state bill could expand coverage.
- An NIH-funded study led by Pasquale Rummo will analyze receipts to gauge behavior changes, with expectations for modest effects and $200 noncompliance fines beginning next year.