Albany County Executive Mike Breslin signed a law on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Subway in Latham, that would force chain restaurants to post the number of calories in each of their items on menu boards, menus and drive-thru menus. The law will go into effect 60 days from its signing.
The law was sponsored by Albany County Legislator Tim Nichols, D-Latham, and co-sponsored by Chris Higgins, D-Albany. Its intention, the lawmakers said, is not to regulate what people eat, but instead give them more information about menu items so that they can make a more informed and healthy decision.
Nichols said he got the idea for the law from a similar law that was enacted in New York City.
Local Law B for 2009, the law’s official name, forces restaurants with 15 or more locations to post the amount of calories in each item on their menus, menu boards and drive-through menus.
The law would only apply to chains, Nichols said, 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.
The Albany County Health Department will be monitoring whether the chain restaurants are posting the appropriate calorie amounts on their menu items.
When the law was voted on by the Albany County Legislature on Monday, Aug. 10 at the Legislature’s regular meeting, it was passed with a 32 to 3 vote. The three legislators who voted against the law were Minority Leader Christine Benedict, R-Colonie, Peter Tunny, R-Colonie, and Patty Lockart, R-Albany.
Benedict explained after the vote that she did not vote for the law because she not think Albany County legislators are elected to work on these types of laws.
I just had heard enough. How much government involvement do we want in everybody’s lives around here? she said.
During the signing Wednesday, Breslin said Albany County is taking one `giant` step in the fight against obesity. He also said it is his hope that other restaurants in the county and region will soon learn by Albany County’s example and bring their calorie information to the forefront of their own menus.
`I applaud county Legislator Tim Nichols for introducing this critical legislation and all our county legislators for their efforts to improve the quality of life in Albany County,` he said.
Nichols applauded Albany County on Wednesday for being the first Upstate New York county to enact this law.
`Obesity is such a serious health risk to our society,` he said, stressing that the legislators need to respond and take the issue seriously.
Higgins echoed Nichols’ sentiments about obesity.
`We have an epidemic in this country and it’s called obesity,` he said. Higgins said the legislature was simply helping consumers make informed decisions. `We’re not telling people what they should eat.` He also said he is hopeful that this becomes a law on the state level.
James `Eddie` Hicks, a spokesman for Subway, said he was pleased that the law signing presentation could take place at the Subway located at 1186 Troy Schenectady Road, as this Subway has already set a good example of what the law is supposed to do by posting the calorie amounts of its items before the law was enacted.
He praised the law for creating an easy way to give consumers the information that Subway restaurants already have.
`The [law] is taking the information that we already have available and putting it in a visible spot,` he said.
Hicks said that Subway has seen that, since posting calorie counts, consumers on average are buying products with about 50 fewer calories.
“
