Res. No. 726

Resolution calling upon the State Legislature to introduce and adopt, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would authorize the City of New York to adopt local laws to amend the Unincorporated Business Tax and the General Corporation Tax to provide tax credits to encourage food service establishments with fewer than twenty locations nationally doing business under the same name to provide nutrition information to consumers.

By Council Members Rivera, Dilan and James

                     Whereas, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates that more than half of adults in the City of New York are overweight and one in six adults are obese; and

                     Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, an overweight person is at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, stroke and cancer; and

                     Whereas, Studies have shown that only twelve percent of Americans and two percent of children eat a healthy diet; and

Whereas, Between 1978 and 1995, researchers have found that Americans’ average calorie intake increased by 167 calories per day from 1,876 to 2,043, and these figures may underestimate the true increase; and

Whereas, According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Americans spend almost half of their food dollars on foods prepared outside their homes, and a study determined that the average American consumes about one-third of calories from restaurant foods; and

Whereas, One study found that consumers consistently underestimate the nutrient levels in food items and overestimate the healthfulness of restaurant items; and

Whereas, Federal law requires nutrition information labels to be placed on almost all packaged foods, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services reports that three-quarters of American adults report using such labels; and

Whereas, A study found that nearly half of people studied say that the labels caused them to change their minds about purchasing a food product; and

Whereas, The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that most restaurants do not provide nutrition information about their food items; and

Whereas, The United States Surgeon General and the United States Department of Health and Human Services have recommended that nutrition information be provided more often for foods eaten and prepared away from home; and

Whereas, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Harvard Forums on Health maintain that national polls have determined that 62-87 percent of Americans support requiring restaurants to list nutrition information; and

Whereas, Providing nutrition information in restaurants would help people make healthier choices when eating out, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest; and

Whereas, Cost is one of the barriers to restaurants providing nutrition information, particularly for smaller food service establishments; and

Whereas, Offering tax credits would provide an incentive for food service establishments to provide nutrition information to their consumers; and

                     Whereas, Tax credits can be given to City businesses by amending the City’s Unincorporated Business Tax and its General Corporation Tax; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the State Legislature to introduce and adopt, and the Governor to sign, legislation that would authorize the City of New York to adopt local laws to amend the Unincorporated Business Tax and the General Corporation Tax to provide tax credits to encourage food service establishments with fewer than twenty locations nationally doing business under the same name to provide nutrition information to consumers.

AS

LS # 2638

February 26, 2007