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Where must the icon be placed?
The icon must be placed directly on the menu, menu board or item tag next to any food item
that has 2,300 mg of sodium or more. This includes printed and electronic menus used to self-
order or place an order through an operator.
What size should the icon be?
The icon must always be as wide as it is tall. (Do not stretch or shrink the icon’s shape.) The icon
must also be equal in height to the largest letter of the food item’s name, as displayed on the
menu, menu board or item tag.
What about combination meals (meals with multiple food items)?
If the entire combination meal contains 2,300 mg of sodium or more, you must place the
sodium warning icon next to the combination meal on the menu.
Some combination meals allow customers to choose from different options for part of the
meal. If any option results in a combination meal with 2,300 mg of sodium or more, you must
place the sodium warning icon next to the combination meal on the menu.
What about menu items that can be customized or have different toppings?
If any possible version of the item contains 2,300 mg of sodium or more, you must place the
sodium warning icon next to the item on the menu.
What about menu items with multiple servings?
Some menu items contain more than one serving and are intended to be shared by more than
one person – for example, a “family-size” bucket of chicken or a large pizza pie divided into
eight slices.
For these items, if the serving unit has less than 2,300 mg of sodium, you do not have to label
the item with the warning icon – even if all servings added together would total more than
2,300 mg of sodium.
However, if each serving unit has 2,300 mg of sodium or more, you do have to place the sodium
warning icon next to the item on the menu. The icon may be posted next to the listing for the
entire item (for example, pizza pie) or next to the serving (for example, a slice), depending on
how the item is listed on the menu.
Food items served on one person’s plate are not multiple servings.
What is the warning statement?
The warning statement is another part of the new rule. This is the statement:
Warning: indicates that the sodium (salt) content of this item is higher than the
total daily recommended limit (2,300 mg). High sodium intake can increase blood
pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.
Where must the warning statement be posted?
It must be posted in a clearly visible place at the point where customers place their order at a
chain food service establishment.
Updated July 2023