N.Y. tries again to require menu calorie count

NEW YORK - A city agency voted yesterday to revive a plan to force chains to post calorie counts for their foods right on the menu, hoping the fat-filled truth will shock New Yorkers into eating healthier.

The regulation adopted by the Board of Health takes effect March 31.

The city's original effort was struck down by a judge in September. That rule was reworked to make it comply with the court ruling.

The new regulation applies to any chain that operates at least 15 outlets, including those that do not currently provide any information on calories. Major fast-food chains make up about 10 percent of the city's restaurants.

Several chains, such as McDonald's and Burger King, have the information available but do not list it on the menu boards that customers read before ordering.

City officials hope the rule will curb obesity by making people aware of the thousands of calories that can be packed into some of the meals. Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said Monday he hoped the chains would also respond by offering healthier options.

"I don't think we're going to see the 2,700-calorie appetizers that we see now," Frieden said.

New York - which banned trans-fat-laden cooking oils from all restaurants last year - is believed to be the first U.S. city to enact a regulation requiring calories on menus. Since then, California lawmakers and King County in Washington, which includes Seattle, have considered similar bills.

The Center for Consumer Freedom, a coalition of restaurants and food companies, had blasted the proposal.

"It doesn't take a Ph.D in nutrition, let alone a high school diploma, to tell the difference between a 12-piece bucket of chicken and a salad," the group said in a statement, saying the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg was creating "nanny-state public health policies."