Health Department pushes new “Look Before You Eat” campaign

The Health Department on Tuesday, December 6 launched the “Look Before You Eat” campaign, an initiative aimed at urging New Yorkers to look for the sodium warning icons on menus when dining in chain restaurants throughout the five boroughs.

The campaign comes on the heels of the city’s new mandated sodium warning rule for chain restaurants, under which a salt shaker icon must be posted next to all menu items with 2,300 mg of sodium or more – the total daily recommended limit.

“You can’t tell how much sodium is in your food just by looking at it,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. “New York City is the first city in the country to implement a sodium warning rule and give diners important information to protect their hearts when eating at chain restaurants. The goal is to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for all of us, and this icon does just that.”

The campaign will appear on television, in the subway, online, in daily newspapers, on bus shelters and on the sides of buses throughout the city.

The rule affects all New York City chain restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide.

“We cannot understate the importance of consumer education in making smart food choices,” said Borough President Eric Adams. “New Yorkers deserve to know what they are fueling their body with and how it will impact their health. Please Facebook, Instagram, or tweet to ‘look before you eat.’”

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