Washington-based National Restaurant Association has filed a lawsuit against New York City last Thursday in the state court in Manhattan, in the hopes to prevent the city's new salt labeling rule from being implemented.
In a report from Bloomberg, Preston Ricardo, an attorney representing the National Restaurant Association, said that the Board of Health is overstepping their authority, as well as was "arbitrary and capricious" when they made the new rule.
The group also claims that the enactment of the rule is violating the First Amendment by "forcing its members to voice an opinion many don't agree with, and that it is pre-empted by federal law," said Ricardo.
"Once again we have an example of renegade regulating by the Board of Health in their effort to be trailblazers and [to] grab headlines," he added.
Nick Paolucci, a spokesman for the Law Department, said that the city has not yet been served with the suit. He also stated that the city is "confident that the Board of Health has the authority to enact this rule."
According to Forbes, the new rule will require restaurants in New York City with 15 units or more nationwide, to label high-sodium food and beverage items on their menus. This means that foods or beverages with 2,300 milligrams of sodium or more, are required to have a salt-shaker warning label.
Forbes also reported that Applebee's has already incorporated the salt-shaker warning label in their menus as of this week. Major restaurant chains such as McDonald's, Chili's Grill & Bar, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Denny's, have not yet made use of the warning labels. Restaurants have until March to follow the new rule and to update their menu. If restaurants fail to follow the new rule after the deadline, they will be facing a $200 fine.
The new rule was crafted by Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration in an effort to improve public health.
