California Chain Restaurants Must Count Calories
October 3, 2008
In an effort to make you think twice before ordering that double-cheeseburger, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved legislation last Tuesday requiring large chain restaurants to include the nutritional contents of menu items.
The legislation is an effort to combat the obesity epidemic in California. California is the first state in the nation to approve a law of this kind.
The law, proposed by Sen. Alex Padilla, will apply to chain restaurants that have more than 20 locations throughout California. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2009, and by January 1, 2010, nutritional information must be posted by all chain restaurants.
This means that restaurants affected by the bill must disclose information about the number of calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat and sodium contained in menu items. Read more