Judge shoots down calorie rules for New York fast food outlets
NEW YORK (AFP) — A US judge has shot down a New York City health regulation that would have required around 2,000 fast food outlets and restaurants to display how many calories their meals contain.
The New York State Restaurant Association brought a lawsuit in June challenging the regulations, which were adopted in December but delayed due to the lawsuit and would have applied to around 10 percent of New York's eateries.
In a ruling Tuesday in Manhattan District Court, Judge Richard Holwell prevented the city from imposing the new regulations, ruling that federal law already provided for much of what the New York law sought to impose.
"This decision highlights some of the flaws in the New York City Board of Health's regulation," Peter Kilgore, acting head of the National Restaurant Association said in a statement after the ruling.
The rules, which would have applied only to restaurants that already disclosed calorie data, "would have attempted to punish the very restaurants that are already providing accurate and comprehensive nutrition information."
"We hope this decision will slow a rush to regulate, and will send a message to regulators and legislators that there must be more thought given to pursuing this complex issue," he added.
The rules were part of increased efforts by New York authorities to improve the health of the city's population. One in eight of New York's adult population has diabetes, while obesity rates are also on a steady rise.
