Larger chain eateries must show nutrition facts, says county

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 that bigger chain restaurants and coffee shops must print health and nutritional information on signs and menus in an effort to curb obesity and inform consumers.

The ruling, which was voted on in July, states that next year restaurants and coffee shops in Multnomah County that have 15 or more locations across the nation must post information about food and drinks sold on company menus and other literature.

The goal is to make health information readily available to the public, according to the Multnomah County Health Department’s Web site. Approximately 500 restaurants in the county will be affected by the new ruling, the Web site states.

Portland State student Alyssa Hagedorn said she used to buy a grande mocha from one of the Starbucks locations on campus about three times a week.

Hagedorn eventually became a Starbucks employee, and switched to lower-fat cappuccinos, she said. A grande cappuccino with 2 percent milk has 120 calories–210 calories less than a grande mocha with 2 percent milk, according to nutritional information on the Starbucks Web site.

“A lot of people get really heavy things–extra caramel, whipped cream and extra syrup pumps–without realizing how much it really adds up,” Hagedorn said.

Hagedorn said she is in favor of the nutritional labeling idea, and that people are probably going to be surprised to see just how many calories are in some menu items.

“People will still want their favorite drinks,” Hagedorn said, “but might order down a size after this goes into effect.”

The rules are still being developed and improved, and business owners can submit comments to the Health Department through Nov. 28.

For those interested in the issue, a public forum to discuss enforcement of the new policy will be held at the Southeast Health Center, located at 3653 S.E. 34th Ave., on Nov. 6.