NYC’s Restaurants Posting Calorie Counts on Menus

Fast-food customers in New York City are getting a wake up call on the amount of calories in some of their favorite foods. 

For example, a typical meal at McDonald’s consisting of a Big Mac, medium fries and soda has nearly 1,130 calories, while a single jelly doughnut at Dunkin Donuts contains 270 calories, and a grande mint mocha chip frappuccino with whipped cream at Starbucks has a higher calorie count than a double cheeseburger.

The city’s fast-food chains have started complying with new rules requiring them to post the calorie counts of food right on the menu. Although the calorie counts had long been available on Web sites and tray liners, the new first-of-its kind rule now requires the information to be posted in plain sight right above the cash register. 

After several months of resisting, Burger King and McDonald’s were among the fast-food chains that launched new menu boards at many locations throughout the city on Friday. Other chains, including Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Wendy’s, have been gradually phasing in calorie information at their stores during the past several months.

The new law is part of the city’s anti-obesity initiative, which also included a recent ban on artificial trans fats in restaurants. First drafted in 2006, the regulation was redrafted after the court ruled against the initial version.

Although the calorie-posting rule went into effect in May, legal action had delayed enforcement until now. But beginning Saturday, restaurants large enough to fall under the new law will face penalties of up to $2,000 per location for failing to disclose calorie information in a prominent position on their menus, ideally right next to the item’s price.

On Friday, calorie information at some restaurants were difficult to read, and many chains only offered calorie counts for a few popular items. A few chains appeared to be ignoring the rule, perhaps hoping a court would block the new law.   A lawsuit initiated by the industry is still pending.

Cathy Nonas, director of the health department’s physical activity and nutrition program, told the Associated Press some restaurants delayed posting calorie counts out of fear that customers might change their eating patterns.

“We want to help people make an informed decision at the time of purchasing,” she told the AP.

“Obviously, we have an epidemic of obesity across the nation, and New York City is no different.”

Depending on age, gender and activity, dietary guidelines for adults recommend about 2,000 calories a day.   Nevertheless, some of the fast-food customers seemed not to notice the new columns of calorie data.

On a visit to the city from Toronto, Audrey and Kevin Carroll didn’t notice the Cinnabon box of treats they bought for their kids on their way out of town contained 850 calories.

“That’s why they call it fast food,” their traveling companion, Cynthia Kaufman of New York’s Long Island, told the AP.

“It’s New York. If it’s loud, and noisy, and you’re in a hurry, and the kids are crying, who is going to stop and read the calories?”

Until now, the lack of enforcement of the new law had kept compliance at best inconsistent, and as of Friday it was not yet clear how many of the 2,500 restaurants covered by the legislation would actually meet the deadline. A few appeared to be completely surprised by the rules, especially the homegrown fast-food chains scattered throughout New York City’s outer boroughs.

“This has been an absolute nightmare,” Enrique Almela told the AP. Almela is director of operations at Singas Famous Pizza, which has 17 restaurants, most in the borough of Queens.

Designed to target the fast-food chains in particular, the new rule applies only to restaurants that serve standardized portion sizes and have 15 or more locations throughout the country. However, in practice, the law’s low threshold has also involved small businesses, such as  Singas Famous Pizza and other local franchises that have never performed nutritional testing before.

Speaking from  his car on Wednesday during a rush trip to deliver pizza samples to a food laboratory, Almela told The Associated Press the calorie tests for his 35 different pizza combinations will cost him $10,000.  He expressed further doubts that the data produced by the lab would even be accurate.

“I may put 15 pepperoni on a pie. Someone else may put 12. We don’t measure the amount of cheese we put on,” he said.

“If you put up roundabout numbers, how does that help anyone?”

Another set of eateries that might experience troubles meeting the new deadline are loosely affiliated, largely immigrant-owned restaurants that share the same name and suppliers, but operate independently.

Afgan Paper & Food Products, which distributes food and packaging materials to many such restaurants, reported it was scrambling to provide the eateries with calorie data.

“The stores are all calling and asking for information. We don’t have it,” Mariam Mashriqi, a company receptionist, told the AP.

But for now, Mashriqi said, some owners are funding the laboratory tests themselves.

“These are small stores. They are barely making a profit,” she said.

City health officials claim the restaurants were given plenty of time to prepare, and that every restaurant licensed by the city received a letter this spring.  Another 250 restaurants were given formal warnings after health inspectors noticed they were not yet in compliance with the new law.