Multnomah County Commissioners voted today 5-0 in favor of a food labeling law that will require some restaurants and coffee shops operating in the county to display calorie counts on menus or sign boards beside each regular menu item, including beverages.
The new law applies to those restaurants and coffee shops with 15 or more stores nationwide such as Starbucks, Pizza Schmizza, McMenamins, Burgerville and McDonald’s.
Alejandro Queral, the American Heart Association’s director of governmental affairs, says the AHA has been supporting policies nationally and in Oregon that give consumers the ability to make informed decisions at the point of purchase.
“Naturally we agree with this new policy,” Queral tells WWire. “This gives our members the ability to choose healthy options when dining out.”
Most restaurateurs who testified today were in favor of including the calorie counts.
But one who raised at least some concerns was Chris Hein. Representing the Old Spaghetti Factory, Hein wondered if calorie charts would change his patrons’ eating habits. And he said the new rule would add to his costs now that he must create different menus for Multnomah County; Washington’s King County, which has a similar labeling requirement; and everywhere else the Old Spaghetti Factory operates.
The compliance deadline in Multnomah County for the new calorie labeling rule is the end of 2009.
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Fake concern for the population.
Really just the politicians trying to stick it to large corporations.
Why is Stanich’s excluded from providing this information? Their bacon, ham, egg, cheese artery clogger is just as bas as anything from McD’s or Buger King.
Why is Kornblats pastrami exempt but Slotzkys isn’t?
If this is really about a healthy population then the rules should apply to everyone.
And who exactly were the "Most restaurateurs who testified today were in favor of including the calorie counts. "? Are any of them large enough to be required to provide the information or are they just in favor of rules that make it harder on their competition?
The commissioners cannot maintain our bridges, lower our taxes, shelter our poor, educate our youth, care for the elderly, or incarcerate our criminals; yet they can track our calories. This pathetic waste of money and energy drives me to scarf down a box of cinnabons with a 32oz milk shake to cope with our hapless feel goodery excuse for a local government -Why not fund nutrition education, build better parks, or, even more simply, require all fast food to come with a warning label like cigarettes?
What a total waste of time and resources. Just another example of why Oregon is labeled a non-business friendly state.
How about if the commissioners work on infrastructure and economic development issues rather than functioning as the "fat police".
I think this is a wonderful idea. This is a way to help educate the consumer so that they have a better understanding of what they are putting in their bodies. They are even hiring someone to help assist restaurants in this transition. People need to know what they are putting in their bodies!
This does nothing to educate the consumer. Every fast food place makes their nutrition information available for the asking.
It still misses the mark for all those little cholesterol factories located throughout Portland. Where do the people go to get educated if they refuse to eat at chains?
All show no go!!
I started counting calories early and it nearly killed me. As a citizen in recovery from a severe eating disorder, this is the equivalent of requiring a free beer be administered to alcoholics with every order. I think this will cause more problems for people vulnerable to disordered eating then it will increase healthy behavior. There is no evidence that posting calories changes caloric intake for most people. Calories alone are only part of the equation when considering appropriate intake (fiber, sodium, trans-fat, cholesterol). If we want to create a healthier society we need to increase opportunities for movement, reduce our stress, and try to move away from processed foods. Calories listed on a menu will do nothing to make people healthier and will probably trigger a good number of eating disorders. I won