WHITE PLAINS N.Y. The Westchester County Board of Legislators will vote Nov. 10 on whether to mandate the disclosure of calorie counts on the menus of about 600 chain restaurants, a spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman, Betsy DeSoye, said the vote was scheduled following a public hearing on Monday night.
"I know there’s a very strong voice out there in favor of it,” said DeSoye, who also acknowledged that restaurateurs spoke out against the measure.
If passed, the law would go into effect in May. Similar to New York City’s initiative, the measure would require units of chains with at least 15 stores nationwide to post the calorie counts of regular items on their menus or menu boards. The county department of health would be responsible for enforcing the rule and issuing citations to operators who fail to comply.
DeSoye said the board “is aware that there will be a big [period of] education at first. I don’t think the focus is to be punitive, just to change the way menu items are presented.”