A new regulation from the Adams administration may soon require coffee shops and fast-food businesses in New York City to include a nutritional disclaimer on their menu boards and packaging.
Under the nation’s first-ever health department directive of this kind, foods and beverages with more than 50 grams of added sugar – the maximum daily dose recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – will soon be required to have warning labels on them. The measure includes hot chocolate, fountain sodas, and frozen coffee drinks from chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.
“Eating too many added sugars can contribute to type 2 diabetes and weight gain,” reads the suggested warning label.
The Sweet Truth Act, which was adopted by the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams last year, is anticipated to take effect on June 19 for packaged food hours and December 1 for beverages and unpackaged food sales in restaurants.
Restaurants that fail to comply with the legislation may be fined between $200 and $500 per violation.
A survey conducted in 2021 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that around 85% of people living in New York City (and 78% of people in the state) are in favor of chain restaurant menus disclosing added sugar content.
Diabetes-related deaths claim the lives of one New Yorker every ninety minutes on average. The city’s health department was initially ordered by the New York City Council to develop added sugar warnings in 2021; however, the rule only applied to prepackaged goods and was not scheduled to take effect until after the COVID-19 local “state of emergency” ended.
