By Angela Gemmill
If a new private members’ bill by Nickel Belt’s M-P-P is passed menu boards at fast food chains will begin showing calorie content.
France Gelinas will introduce her Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating Bill this afternoon at Queen’s Park.
It would provide consumers information to help make better choices while eating out at restaurants.
The legislation also calls for items with high sodium content to be flagged and free nutritional brochures available for anyone who requests one.
Gelinas says its hard to guess how much calories or how much salt is within an item just by looking at them.
The legislation, if passed, would cover businesses with over five locations throughout Ontario, making more than five million dollars a year.
Small restaurants would not be affected.
Gelinas’ bill has backing from numerous health agencies and advocates across the province.
There are numerous American cities that have already started showing calorie content on menu boards, with New York City leading the way.
Second reading of Gelinas’ bill is expected this fall.