The CSPI has long lobbied for the government to require public posting of fast-food chain nutrition information. By "public" they mean "post the calories and fat grams right up there on the menu, by gum!" New York City agrees that this is a dandy idea, and now, the AMA is backing the concept as well.
Big surprise, though, fast-food chains are balking at the demands. Restaurant groups are even suing the city.
In the pro-labeling corner, it is argued that menu-labeling at the point of sale will allow people to make more informed choices about the food they eat, and is claimed to be a big step in fighting rising obesity (link goes to CSPI sponsored site).
In the anti-labeling corner, it is argued that nutrition information is already available (you know, in English, and on the Internet. Or in English, in tiny print, in a dim corner in the restaurant), and that adding the info to the menu boards will just make an ugly mess (link goes to an editorial from the Nation's Restaurant News).
What this means to you
Well, to be honest, if you're actually reading Food Fodder, you already know how to use the Internet to find information, and you're probably already interested in nutrition at some level. So, the legislation may not mean anything to you directly.
If you're not already savvy on your fast-food information, you can try searching online for the information--but be aware that not all sites provide the data you want. Wendy's, for example, blocks nutrition info for NYC customers. Don't worry. You can get your info elsewhere.
If chains have to go ahead and post nutrition information, you may have to relearn reading those menu boards to tell which is the price and which is the nutrition info. I'd also take a big bet and say that the nutrition info will most assuredly NOT be posted in a way that's actually useful. I'm betting that the chains will try to hide percentages of food values rather than the real numbers.
Next time someone asks you "You want fries with that?", ask them how many calories it'll be.