TORONTO — The Ontario Liberal government is expected to announce new legislation today that will require large restaurant chains to put nutritional information and calories on their menus, according to the Canadian Press.
The Liberals have consulted with various health groups and businesses on the ongoing issue. They also sought advice on how to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods aimed at children and discussed whether sodium counts should be included in the menu labelling. “Some people would say you need more than just calories; you need sodium, you need trans fat, you need sugar,” Health Minister Deb Matthews is quoted as saying by CP. “There are a number of different things that people wanted to see included on it. What we committed to is it would be calories, and we would listen to what people had to say.”
Many big restaurant chains already provide nutritional information in brochures, small wall posters and on their websites.
Last fall, the government promised to introduce legislation that would make Ontario the first province to make menu labelling mandatory.
