PORTLAND Ore. Legislators for the Oregon county that encompasses Portland voted Thursday to require the disclosure of nutrition information on the menus of some chain restaurants.
Approval of the measure, which applies to local units of chains with at least 15 locations nationwide, came after several hours of discussion, according to the website of the measure’s proponent, Multnomah County Commissioner Jeff Cogen. Among the topics reportedly debated was whether the county should step back and let the state consider a labeling measure.
The county law was ultimately approved by a vote of 4-1 and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2009. A spokeswoman for Cogen said restaurants would have a six-month grace period to comply with the new rule.
Cogen said the initiative was patterned after the labeling laws that were approved in New York City, San Francisco, and King County, Wash., which encompasses Seattle. Like the San Francisco measure, the Multnomah law mandates that chain units disclose calorie counts on menus or menu boards for each regular menu item, and provide the fat, sodium and carbohydrate content for every standard selection upon request.
The Oregon Restaurant Association has opposed the Multnomah County proposal and favors instead a statewide rule that would give operators more flexibility in how they communicate nutrition data.