Appeals Court Upholds NYC's Calories-on-Menus Rule

NEW YORK — A federal appeals court today upheld the city's regulation requiring some chain restaurants to post calories on menus and menu boards, saying the rule is a reasonable effort to curb obesity. A 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected arguments by a state trade group that federal law pre-empted the rule and that the city had violated the First Amendment by forcing its view on restaurant patrons that calories are the most important consideration on a menu. The three-judge panel ruled that the federal Nutrition Labeling and Education Act was not intended to apply to restaurant food, writing that the city "merely stepped into a sphere that Congress intentionally left open to state and local governments." Read the rest of The Honolulu Advertiser article