Chain restaurants in Seattle and other parts of Washington’s King County would be required to post nutrition information on menus and menu boards as of Aug. 1, 2008 under a law approved Thursday by the county Board of Health.
The nation’s second menu-labeling requirement goes further than New York City’s mandate by requiring the disclosure of more information, without an exemption for places that have yet to conduct a nutrition analysis of their offerings.
The King County measure also mandates all restaurants in the county to rid their kitchens of artificial trans fats in two phases. By April 1, all fryer oils and shortenings used in foodservice establishments must have zero grams of the artery clogger, which, by government standards, equates to a trans-fat content of less than .5 gram. Restaurants must find replacements for margarines and all other products containing trans fats by Feb. 1, 2009.
