NEW YORK Looking to benchmark New Yorkers' dining habits prior to the enactment of a law intended to alter the pattern, the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is offering customers of some chain restaurants here $2 MetroCards, which buys a one-way ride on the city's subway or bus system, if they turn over their meal receipts. The health department said it is attempting to assess the dining habits of city residents before and after a controversial menu-labeling regulation takes effect July 1.
The rule, which was passed last December, requires that restaurants already offering calorie information on the Internet, food wrappers, tray liners or in brochures list the information on menus and menu boards. The department said it is collecting baseline data about menu options and food and beverage purchases from customer receipts at some 200 randomly selected restaurants throughout the city over the next several months.
Restaurants chosen by the department will be among those that will have to comply with the new rules. Receipts also will be collected again after the rules go into effect this summer.
The health department said in a statement, "Because we are breaking new ground with this initiative, it is crucial that we evaluate our efforts so we can assess their impact and help combat obesity in NYC and the nation." An official with the National Restaurant Association was quoted as saying that it was "not a scientifically based survey, and it's certainly not going to accurately depict if the program is working."