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 White Plains, NY - The Westchester County Board of Legislators has approved the “Calorie Labeling Law,” legislation that will require all Westchester chain food establishments with fifteen or more locations worldwide to post the calorie content of menu items on menus and menu boards.
The law will take effect 180 days after it is signed into law and will impact about 600 chain restaurants in the county.
“I am very proud that our hard work has paid off and Westchester residents will have the opportunity to be educated about what they will be eating before they order it,” said Legislator Myers (D-WF, Larchmont), Majority Whip and County Board representative to the county’s Board of Health, who proposed the bill in 2007 and re-introduced it earlier this year.
Members of the Community Services and Legislation Committees deliberated the legislation for the past several months. Nearly two dozen people made comments at the public hearing held at the Board on October 20, prompting legislators to delay the scheduled vote to fully review and process the public’s comments.
“We have done our homework on this measure and the evidence is overwhelming that the law is both needed and wanted in Westchester,” said Legislator Bill Burton (D-I, Ossining), Chair of the Legislation Committee. “We have spoken with health experts from New York City, various not-for-profits and members of the restaurant industry. Our Health Commissioner, Dr. Lipsman, and the county’s Board of Health have been instrumental in the development and passage of this bill which will give consumers the information they need to be more health conscious if they so choose.”
The measure has attracted broad public support as evidenced by the steady flow of emails and letters received from constituents and community leaders.
Westchester County now joins New York City, the state of California, and several other counties in the country that have passed similar calorie display mandates. The legislative action comes in response to growing concern over a national obesity epidemic. According to the US Center for Disease Control, obesity among adults between the ages of 20-74 has increased from 15% to 33% over the past three decades.
“The intention here is not to tell people what they can and cannot eat but to enable them to make better decisions for themselves by having the calorie information right in front of them when they are ordering,” added Myers.
Failure to comply with the Calorie Labeling law will result in civil penalties imposed by the Westchester County Health Department.
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