The Albany County Legislature passed a law that would force chain restaurants to present consumers with the number of calories in each of their menu items with a 32-to-3 vote during its Monday, Aug. 10, meeting.
The three legislators who voted against the law were Minority Leader Christine Benedict, R-Colonie, Peter Tunny, R-Colonie, and Patrice Lockart, R-Albany.
Local Law B for 2009, the official name of the law, forces restaurants with 15 or more locations to post the number of calories in each item on their menus, menu boards and drive-through menus.
The law was introduced by Tim Nichols, D-Latham, who said he got the idea for the law from a local law in New York City that requires chains to post calorie counts on their menus.
The reason the law would only apply to chains, Nichols said, is because while chains typically maintain the same portions for each of their items, non-chains do not always measure out the portions, and it would be harder to label the amount of calories if the portions are different.
In essence, the law is designed to present the public with accurate information about menu options, encouraging them to make healthier decisions when dining at a chain.
The restaurants will be monitored by the county health department during their annual inspections to ensure that they are posting the calorie information at their location.
Nichols said his intentions were not to deter people from eating at fast-food and chain restaurants, but instead, to let them know about their healthier eating options when eating at these places is the most convenient for their lives.
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, Nichols said he was pleased the law was passed, proving the support the county legislature has toward a healthier future for county residents.
I’m just excited it was passed with bipartisan support, Nichols said.
Legislators weigh in
Prior to the meeting, The Spotlight had the chance to catch up with a few county legislators to see what they had to say about the law that would require chain restaurants to post their calories for consumers to see. While a few were on the fence before the legislature’s meeting, by the time the law was voted on, it saw overwhelming support.
On Monday, Aug. 10, County Legislator Thomas J. Cotrofeld, D-Delmar, said he had received a lot of feedback from his constituents about the law, and that he had planned to vote in favor of it.
Cotrofeld said he did see resemblances between the bill and the trans fat ban the county passed last month, which required all restaurants and bakeries to use less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in their products. When he first saw the calorie labeling bill he wondered, `Is government carrying this a bit too far?` he said.
`I felt that when it penalized small local independent bakeries, I thought that maybe we should have reconsidered slightly and done some modification there,` he said.
But what Cotrofeld did like about the calorie labeling bill was that it did not force anyone to use or not use a product, and instead, allowed them to make an informed decision about what they put into their bodies.
`It’s about having instantly available enough details to make an informed decision,` he said, adding that he hopes this inspires not only people to make healthier choices, but restaurants to offer healthier choices as well.
County Legislator Carl Zeilman, R-Colonie, said he had no problem with the law because it has mirrored other laws, and he thinks some restaurants are already labeling the calories in their items.
`I think a lot of businesses are already in the practice of putting calories on food labels,` he said.
Minority Leader Christine Benedict, R-Colonie, said Tuesday, Aug. 11, that she voted against the law because she thought government was interfering too much with residents’ lives.
`I just had heard enough. How much government involvement do we want in everybody’s lives around here?` she said.
Benedict said she doesn’t believe it’s the Legislature’s role to regulate what people eat.
`We’re not elected to make restaurants put calories on menus,` she said. `What are we elected for? To fight the crime on fat? I don’t think so.`
Richard Mendick, R-Selkirk, said he was in favor of the law, but said he would have liked to see the bill require restaurants to not only list the calories on the menus, but also sodium, fats, carbohydrates and other nutritional information as well.
`You need all of those pieces of information,` he said.
Nichols, the sponsor of the law, said he has not ruled out working on laws in the future that would cover more than just the calories, but for now, the best way to help the growing obesity problem is through calories.
`The single most important information is the calorie information,` Nichols said.
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