Sophiologist

11/2/10: “San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors today passed a controversial proposal that would ban toys and other marketing incentives from children’s food — like McDonald’s Happy Meals — unless those meals met the city’s nutritional guidelines that limit fat, salt, sugar and calorie content.

In a statement before the vote, city Supervisor Bevan Dufty said lawmakers have a duty to provide nutritional food and make restaurants and companies more conscious of nutrition in their menus.

“If you have to put a Shrek doll with a pack of carrots, that is what you have to do,” he said. Dufty’s vote was widely considered to be the swing vote that safeguards against a promised veto by Mayor Gavin Newsom who is opposed to the measure.

Before the 8-3 vote, the bill’s primary proponent Supervisor Eric Mar called it was “a modest ordinance that’s really getting the fast food and restaurant industry to meet basic nutritional standards.” The legislation will go into effect Dec. 1, 2011 and will be phased in throughout the upcoming year.

To be allowed to offer an incentive — like a toy, game or ticket — with a children’s meal, a restaurant:

• Must make sure the meal had no more than 600 calories and no more than 640 milligrams of salt.
• Fat makes up 35% or less of the total calories. Exceptions are egg, low-fat or reduced-fat cheese, peanut butter and nuts. Saturated fat can only comprise 10% of the total calories and trans fat only 0.5 grams.
• Must provide a half cup of fruits and a half cup of vegetables in each meal. Breakfast meals must have a half cup of fruit.”