http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/07/18/6200871-ap.html

NEW YORK - After months of resistance, several big fast food chains have finally begun obeying a first-of-its-kind New York City rule requiring some restaurants to post calorie counts right on the menu.

Burger King and McDonald’s were among the chains that unveiled new menu boards Friday at scores of locations throughout the city.

They take calorie info that had long been available on Web sites and tray liners and put it front-and-centre above the cash register.

The calorie posting rule took effect in May, but legal action delayed enforcement until now.

Starting Saturday, chains big enough to fall under the rule will face penalties of up to $2,000 per store for not disclosing calorie info in a prominent spot on their menus, preferably next to the price.

To date, the lack of enforcement had meant haphazard compliance, and it remained unclear Friday how many of the estimated 2,500 covered restaurants would meet the deadline. 
 
A few chains still appeared to be ignoring the rule, perhaps holding out hope that a court would block the plan, the first of its kind in any U.S. city.

An industry lawsuit is pending.

Other restaurants offered calorie info for some items, but not others, raising questions about whether they might still face fines.

The new rules are part of an anti-obesity campaign that has also included a recent city-wide ban on artificial trans fats in restaurant food.

A few restaurants appeared to be caught completely off guard by the calorie rules, especially the homegrown fast-food chains that pepper New York City’s outer boroughs.

“This has been an absolute nightmare,“ said Enrique Almela, director of operations at Singas Famous Pizza, which has 17 restaurants, most in Queens.

The menu rule only applies to restaurants that serve standardized portion sizes and have 15 or more locations nationwide, a distinction that was intended to target fast-food giants.

But, in practice, the threshold is low enough to sweep up little-known outfits like Singas Famous, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and other local franchises that have never done nutritional testing before.

Almela spoke with The Associated Press from his car Wednesday as he rushed sample pizzas to a food laboratory on Long Island.

He said the tests to determine the calorie content of his 35 different pizza combinations will cost $10,000, and he doubts they’ll produce accurate data.

“I may put 15 pepperoni on a pie. Someone else may put 12. We don’t measure the amount of cheese we put on,“ he said. “If you put up roundabout numbers, how does that help anyone?“

They were not the only ones racing the clock.

Mister Softee vendors hurried to add decals containing calorie info to the sides of their trucks this week - a temporary fix until the end of the ice cream season.

Company executive James Conway Jr. said he didn’t realize his franchises were covered until last month.

The deadline also looked problematic for a unique class of New York City eateries: loosely affiliated, largely immigrant-owned restaurants that share the same name and sometimes the same suppliers, but operate independently.

City health officials said restaurants have had ample time to prepare.

The regulation was first passed in 2006 and received wide media attention. It was redrafted after a court battle struck down the original version.

Every restaurant licensed by the city got a letter this spring.

Another 250 were issued formal warnings when health inspectors noticed that they hadn’t yet complied.

Out of all the things I could of posted tonight, I thought this one would be quite open for discussion.
Around here, most of the major fast food chains have had nutritional information up for quite some time now.
But there is always the question, how accurate is it?
I know when I ask for a McChicken burger from McDonalds, it’s not accurate, because I always ask for no lettuce. Don’t forget, you either get a lot of mayo’ or not enough.
Some places make it a point to say it is a general representation. Yet still, a chain with 15 stores or more MUST obey by the rules? Kinda faulty thinking considering chains always start off in local locations.

Besides…. I think the whole watching your weight through calculating calories is foolish. People should know if something if fatty or not. It’s not rocket science. I only eat when I am hungry, and I do eat fatty foods a lot, but I am not un-fit. I eat at random times during the day. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are all foreign to me, I pretty much eat when hungry, with general snacks.

I think it is the repetitive meals that are making people overweight. Breakfast, Lunch, Supper…. rinse and repeat. Everyone has different bodies, I’ve always thought the system was flawed. Yet most families follow this regiment.

At any point, we keep continuing with this nutritional data for fast food places, then soon, there will be entire walls plastered with every possible nutritional info for every type of food.

“Am I getting enough vitamin B with this burger?”

*end rant*

I rarely ever eat at McDonalds, the mediocrity in their food is a bit too much for me.  Lately I’ve been trying to avoid fast food joints all together.  My girlfriend has been after me to lose weight so the calorie counting has begun.  ugh.

DJ_Canada - 19 July 2008 07:32 PM

Besides…. I think the whole watching your weight through calculating calories is foolish. People should know if something if fatty or not. It’s not rocket science. I only eat when I am hungry, and I do eat fatty foods a lot, but I am not un-fit.

Sometimes you are so naive that it makes me laugh.

There are many foods out there that are extremely low in fat but are very high in calories and if you ate these types all the time, you would still put on weight. The whole point of counting calories is to ensure that you are consuming less energy than you use. Plus, foods that appear to be healthy are sometimes so laden with calories that it’s actually better for you to eat a burger. Have you ever had a Caesar salad before? Those things are heart attacks on a plate.

You say you eat a lot of fatty foods but you’re not unfit? My hubby is the same, he eats butter spread about an inch thick on his bread, plays sport every week and is fifteen kilos underweight. People look at him and think he’s gotta be healthy. His cholesterol levels are through the roof! Just because you don’t appear to be unfit, it doesn’t mean on the inside you’re healthy.

Fat is basically stored energy. The more fattening something is, the more calories, naturally (At least in hindsight).

Tho you cannot compare everyones bodies in the same way, it rather obvious, you eat something fattening, have a lesser meal when you get hungry next.

Besides, calories also include sugar content. That’s why it is sometimes wise to stay away from salads. It’s the sugar content of the dressings where the calories come from.

Before you call me naive, please consider other points of views from my stand point.

Sugar is bad, and being a juvenile diabetic, I should know it’s not necessarily the fat content that makes people fat. You can eat high fat foods, but stay away from the sugar, and still be thin and fit.

I don’t know if this is a good idea or not.  I’m on the fence on this one. 

But this comment….

He said the tests to determine the calorie content of his 35 different pizza combinations will cost $10,000, and he doubts they’ll produce accurate data.

... is pure BS.

Just hand me all 35 recipes and I’ll go into my old MasterCook program and have it done in a day….  for a lot less than $10,000.  I can probably just find a calculator on one of the many good recipe sites on the net.  And restaurants usually print new menus every 3 or four months anyway, so that’s not much of a factor.

DJ_Canada - 20 July 2008 05:24 PM

Besides, calories also include sugar content. That’s why it is sometimes wise to stay away from salads. It’s the sugar content of the dressings where the calories come from.

Yes, this is the point I was making because in your first statement you said that counting calories is foolish because fattening foods are obviously fattening so don’t eat them. I was pointing out that low fat foods can be high in calories as well so just avoiding high fat foods will not guarantee a low calorie meal. I also made an example of salads as being a ‘healthy’ option that have hidden calories. You’ve just completely re-quoted my arguments to have a go at me for calling you naive.

Bebelicious - 20 July 2008 05:30 PM

I don’t know if this is a good idea or not.  I’m on the fence on this one. 

But this comment….

He said the tests to determine the calorie content of his 35 different pizza combinations will cost $10,000, and he doubts they’ll produce accurate data.

... is pure BS.

Just hand me all 35 recipes and I’ll go into my old MasterCook program and have it done in a day….  for a lot less than $10,000.  I can probably just find a calculator on one of the many good recipe sites on the net.  And restaurants usually print new menus every 3 or four months anyway, so that’s not much of a factor.

Normally, they wanna be as accurate as they can. When mixing together products, the end result may differ from simple calculations. Cooking products can also sometimes alter results, IE: evaporation, run off, or complex chemistry. And some product when mixed together can be more healthy than expected. Look at the pharmaceutics industry.

Nettie - 20 July 2008 05:32 PM

DJ_Canada - 20 July 2008 05:24 PM

Besides, calories also include sugar content. That’s why it is sometimes wise to stay away from salads. It’s the sugar content of the dressings where the calories come from.

Yes, this is the point I was making because in your first statement you said that counting calories is foolish because fattening foods are obviously fattening so don’t eat them. I was pointing out that low fat foods can be high in calories as well so just avoiding high fat foods will not guarantee a low calorie meal. I also made an example of salads as being a ‘healthy’ option that have hidden calories. You’ve just completely re-quoted my arguments to have a go at me for calling you naive.

I still think it is foolish to count calories. People drink 3-5 Colas a day and then blame the fast food industry for making them over weight.

Actually, DJ, I’ve found that diabetics have a better understanding of nutrition than the average person.  Unfortunately, it’s due to necessity.  I’m sure you’re aware of your numbers as you probably get blood work done quite regularly.  Enjoy an extra cheeseburger for me!

Bebelicious - 20 July 2008 05:38 PM

Actually, DJ, I’ve found that diabetics have a better understanding of nutrition than the average person.  Unfortunately, it’s due to necessity.  I’m sure you’re aware of your numbers as you probably get blood work done quite regularly.  Enjoy an extra cheeseburger for me!

To be honest, all I do is take my insulin twice daily…. I never watch my blood sugars. But my body tells me if they are extremely high or dangerously low. I don’t watch what I eat…. not in the least… I just eat when I am hungry…. I’ve gone 3 days with only eating 1 small meal a day…. My body had energy to spare, so I guess I wasn’t hungry. Plus I drink a lot of water, thats always a plus for anyone.

I still think it is foolish to count calories. People drink 3-5 Colas a day and then blame the fast food industry for making them over weight.

That’s a pretty broad statement isn’t it??? I’ve recently lost 15 kilos by counting calories and trust me, I didn’t consume 5 colas a day and then blame the fast food industry for not losing weight. Most people who count calories know just how many calories are in a glass of coke and will avoid it like the plague.

When you’re on a calorie controlled diet, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have certain foods, it just means you eat them rarely. If you’re going out for the evening you can work a meal from a restaurant or fast food outlet into your calories so you don’t over eat but you still have the convenience of eating out. It’s all about moderation. You don’t get Maccas for dinner every night, but if you have it once a month, then there’s no point beating yourself up over it.