NYC rule will slap sugar warning labels on food, drinks including Starbucks, Dunkin’ specialties

Oh, sweet — The “Nanny State” is back!

Fast food chains and cafes in New York City would have to post a warning on menus and packaging under a new rule from the Adams administration.

The city Health Department’s first order will mean warning labels on foods and drinks with more than 50 grams of added sugar, including frozen coffee drinks from places like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, fountain sodas and even hot chocolate.

Grocery stores with 15 or more stores in the United States must use a warning icon. — a spoon loaded with piles of sugar — to alert and perhaps shame greedy customers.

The proposed warning will say: “Eating too many added sugars may contribute to type 2 diabetes and weight gain. »

“Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of premature death in New York,” the Department of Health said.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that added sugar be less than 50 grams, or 10 percent of the recommended intake of 2,000 calories per day.

The average Coca-Cola drink at McDonald’s contains 56 grams of sugar and would require a warning label, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Many iced coffees and other drinks at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks contain more than 50 grams of added sugar — like Dunkin’s Butter Pecan Iced Coffee and Caramel Swirl, which contain over 100 grams of sugar.

• A large Vanilla Bean Coolatta contains 150 grams of added sugar.
• Dunkin’s large Blue Raspberry and Strawberry energy drinks, powered by Rockstar, contain almost 100 grams of added sugar.
• A large Dunkin’ Watermelon Kiwi Lemonade Refresher has 74 grams of added sugar.
• A large Iced Matcha Latte with Almond Milk has 109 grams of added sugar.
• Even a large lemonade contains 59 grams of sugar and a large hot chocolate contains 63 grams of added sugar.
• The Starbucks White Peppermint Frappuccino has 73 grams of added sugar and the Peppermint Mocha has 63 grams of sugar, according to eatthis.com.

Health officials wrote the new rules to enforce the Sweet Truth Act approved by Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council last year.

Restaurants that ignore the law face fines of $200 to $500 per violation.

The department is accepting public comments on the new rule, which is expected to take effect June 19 for prepackaged foods and Dec. 1 for beverages and restaurant foods that are not packaged.

Critics blasted the rule, calling it yet another example of government overreach.

“It’s the nanny state becoming the nanny city,” said state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar.

Kassar said many New Yorkers are unhappy with Adams and that “this excessive nannying will only make him unpopular.”

“As for the municipal council, I do not consider it to be an arbiter on anything,” he added.

But health advocates welcomed the new rule.

“As New York faces alarming rates of diabetes among adults and children, communities deserve to know the truth about the amount of added sugars in the foods and drinks offered at chain restaurants,” said the Dr. DeAnna Nara, senior policy associate at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

“This bill is a revolutionary step to empower consumers to make better choices and encourage the food industry to provide healthier options. »

Adams takes over from his predecessors, former mayors Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio.

Bloomberg, a self-proclaimed health fanatic, rammed through a generation ago controversial legislation banning smoking in bars and restaurants and banning trans fats in restaurants and bakeries.

He faced pushback when he sought to ban the sale of large sugary drinks at convenience store fountains, which was called the “Big Gulp” decree.

The courts said the Board of Health could not do so without approval from the city council.

Under de Blasio in 2015, the Health Department issued the nation’s first mandate requiring restaurant chains to display a warning icon next to menu items containing at least 2,300 mg of salt or sodium to help prevent heart disease, stroke and types. 2 diabetes.

Adams, a health-conscious vegetarian, also worked to expel sweetened chocolate milk and other sugary milk from school cafeterias.

But he faced strong resistance from the upstate dairy industry and lawmakers, including powerful House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik.