As officials are urging American to eat healthy, states have been coming up with new laws. On Wednesday, New York City of Health has voted to require chain eateries to include salt-shaker symbols on menus to indicate dishes that include more than recommended levels of sodium in them.

Recommended daily limit of sodium is 2,300 milligrams, which is about a teaspoon. New York is the first US city that has levied such type of restriction on chain food joints. Salt level is often too high in Americans’ diets, which increases the risk of health problems.

Public health advocates have appreciated the decision. On the other hand, salt producers and restaurant owners do not like it. On an average, American consumers are having around 3,400 mg of salt every day. And, even more shocking is only one in 10 Americans meets the recommended limit of sodium.

The Salt Institute, a trade association for salt producers, said that the limit has been set on incorrect government targets, which are now being questioned by research papers. Restaurant owners have to say that healthy eating initiatives should be based on entire dish and not on particular ingredients or foods.

They think that federal authorities should handle the matter. It has been found that the US Food and Drug Administration is working on new sodium guidelines. James Versocki, a lawyer for the New York State

Restaurant Association's New York City chapter, affirmed, “The concern, at some point, is that warning labels and the confluence of warnings on menus will lead to a collective shrug by consumers ... as every item on a menu will be flagged as inappropriate in one way or another”.