New York CIty Council Member Ben Kallos

New York Post Lawmakers attempt at ‘healthy’ Happy Meals falls short by Michael Gartland

Lawmakers attempt at ‘healthy’ Happy Meals falls short

A council bill would require any kids’ meal with an accompanying toy to be limited to no more than 500 calories and 600 milligrams of sodium, with no more than 35 percent of the calories from fat and no more than 10 percent from saturated fat or added sugar.

“We believe that restaurants will not be able to comply with, and the department will not be able to enforce, the bill’s requirements,’’ Angell testified.

Councilman Ben Kallos (D-Manhattan), one of the bill’s sponsors, replied, “It’s hard for me to fathom that [the Health Department], which is in the business of doing this with sodium and trans fats . . . isn’t able to do this.”

The bill was first proposed in 2011. Since then, McDonald’s has spent more than $528,000 to lobby council members to block it.

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