Item - 2013.HL21.2

The Board of Health:

1.         Urged the Ontario Premier and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to develop menu labelling legislation without further delay to support the public's right to know about nutrition content of restaurant foods. The provincial legislation should:

a.        Be directed to foodservice premises with ten or more outlets nationwide or at least $10 million in gross annual revenue;

b.        Require calories and sodium values to be listed on the menu and/or menu board for all standard menu items in the same font/font size as the price;

c.        Require that comprehensive nutrition information (i.e. calories plus 13 core nutrients) be made available to customers upon request at the point of purchase in the form of a pamphlet, brochure, or alternate format; and

d.       Require that contextual statements about daily recommended levels of calories and sodium be posted on the menu or menu board.

2.         Requested the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the City Solicitor and relevant stakeholders, to report to the Board of Health in the fall of 2013, if the provincial government has not proceeded with menu labelling legislation by September 1, 2013, on a proposed City by-law, that will require:

a.         Chain restaurants in Toronto with ten or more outlets nationwide or at least $10 million in gross annual revenues to post calories and sodium values on the menu or menu board for all standard menu items in the same font/font size as the price;

b.         Comprehensive nutrition information (i.e. calories plus 13 core nutrients) to be made available to customers upon request at the point of purchase in the form of a pamphlet, brochure, or alternate format; and

c.         Contextual statements about daily recommended levels of calories and sodium to be posted on the menu or menu board.

3.         Requested the Medical Officer of Health to report in the fall of 2013 on progress on the voluntary menu labelling pilot project with independent restaurants.

4.         Urged Boards of Health in the Greater Toronto Area and throughout Ontario to assist in expanding menu labelling legislation for chain restaurants and voluntary menu labelling initiatives for independent restaurants throughout the province of Ontario.

5.         Endorsed, in principle, the recommendations of No Time to Wait: The Healthy Kids Strategy, the 2012 report of the Ontario government's Healthy Kids Panel.

6.         Forwarded this report to Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario Public Health Association, Public Health Ontario, the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health, the Association of Local Public Health Agencies, the Ontario Medical Association, the Registered Nurses Association Ontario, the Ontario Stroke Network, Public Health Physicians of Canada, Dieticians of Canada, the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Childhood Obesity Foundation, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest Canada, and the Fitness Industry Council of Canada.

7.         Forwarded this report to leaders of official Ontario parties to gain their support for provincial menu labelling regulation.

8.         Requested that the report by the Medical Officer of Health on the voluntary pilot project for restaurants below the ten outlet/$10 million gross revenue threshold consider recognition for restaurants which voluntarily list calorie and sodium content on menus.

9.         Requested that should the Province not indicate a willingness to act on the recommendations from the Medical Officer of Health, that a draft by-law be prepared for consideration by the Board of Health and that prior to bringing it forward, that Toronto Public Health staff consult with the industry regarding details of implementation.