Philly has started sodium-shaming

A new sodium-shaming regulation is being sprinkled into Philadelphia restaurants. 

Eateries with high-sodium menu items will now have to disclose that information on its menus. 

The public health department said that menu items with 2,300 milligrams of sodium or more will have to disclose the salt content to its customers by means of warning labels.  

That figure — 2,300 milligrams — comes from city website foodfitphilly.com, which claims that “Eating one of these items alone puts the consumer over the maximum daily sodium intake recommended by the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association.”  

The website also states that average American’s daily sodium intake is actually 3,400 versus the 2,300, which is the recommended limit. 

The legislation was initially signed by Mayor Jim Kenney and City Council last fall, but is officially in effect on Sept. 14.

It’s not clear how many Philly restaurants are on the hook, but establishments with 15 or more locations are required to post the warning labels. 

According to foodfitphilly.com, 71 percent of people’s daily sodium comes from restaurants or processed food.  Experts say high-sodium intake can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and risk of stroke. 

This is not the first food regulations that Philly has enacted over the past few years. The city’s first menu-labeling law went into effect in 2010, according to NBC. Other local regulations include mandatory calorie counts on menu items, as well as the sugary-beverage tax.