Inaccurate Calorie Info Could Soon Lead to Lawsuits

Gotham Gazette has an in-depth look at potential pitfalls in the city’s new law requiring chain restaurants to prominently display calorie info on all foods and beverages. Namely, the Health Department does not conduct systematic testing to ensure that restaurants are not miscalculating – or misrepresenting – their data.

Chipotle’s calorie info was previously disputed, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that Olive Garden’s cappellini pomodoro, posted as under 640 calories, actually had 990 calories. ABC News has also tested chains like Taco Bell and found big calorie discrepancies, and let’s not forget that priceless Dunkin' Donuts snafu where two locations in Penn Station displayed the same donut with wildly different calorie totals.

Class-action lawsuits have already been filed against Applebee's and Chili's for incorrect calorie counts – a Seattle woman is behind both suits. Chuck Hunt of New York State Restaurant Association, which has been fighting the regulation, tells Gotham Gazette that, "There are plaintiff lawyers just lurking in the shadows waiting to bring suits against restaurants for anything they do. The thing about lawsuits is, no matter how absurd and ridiculous the claim is, you still have to defend yourself, and the legal fees are incredible.”

Photo by PayPaul (Leader Of The WW Tribe).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on August 5, 2008 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

talos

hey, I'm happy these chains are getting stuck with huge legal fees. they're merchants of death, oughta be shut down anyway.

Rocknrope

For people who actually care how many calories go down their gullet, I think the calorie postings can help. I was in 5 Guys Burger and Fries to celebrate my half marathon run, and I saw that the large fries were almost 1500 calories! My conscience couldn't allow me to order it, so I split the regular 700 calorie fries with my wife.

Trouble is, people who frequent these places mostly don't give a shit about how much they ingest.

so1337

the mentality behind it all is just mind blowing.

good call "rcltrh" they didnt care when nothing was posted. Big shock!! Your burger has 1000 calories. So when your finished with one, wash it down with a shake.

Snoopy

Ralph Nadir started all this mess. Let him clean it up.

rcltrh

People don't gain weight accidentally or because they didn't know how many calories were in the 3/4 pounder double bacon big gulp mac burger. I'd be willing to bet no-one with a weight problem has bothered to even look at the calorie info in restaurants. People are overweight because they either eat too much, don't exercise, or just don't really care. Humans have been alive for eons without big brother overseeing their every idiotic move. It's time people take responsibility for their own actions. So you want to be overweight, be overweight. Just don't try to blame anyone else if you have health problems. I also think the idiotic lawsuits over junk like spilling scalding coffee on you gives you a burn. DUH. I could go on and on. All nanny laws do is give opportunistic people and opportunistic lawyers the opportunities for lawsuits.

breaknight

Wow, there is surprisingly strong support for the chain restaurants "right to privacy" here.

How much is the New York State Restaurant Association paying all you flunkies?

whitecastlerock

I am surprised anyone has survived Olive Garden's cappellini pomodoro. People need to learn how to cook, eat at home and condemn these dumps already.

NannyState

You're not going to manage your weight eating at the Olive Garden or any of these other slopchutes. If you're fat, don't do it. For all others, these places should be a guilty splurge, not a daily or even weekly routine. Eat at home. Let these chains feed someone else.

mocanlagunas

The labels should just say Fattening, Very Fattening, OK, If you're on a diet, Not fattening but why would you want to eat this, etc...

And that woman should be deported, with all the fat people complaining about this...

FrankMartin

I remember when the feds made people put it on food pacakging. I liked it until I read they allow something like a 20% margin of error.

Wish my dad allowed a 20% margin of error when I was a kid.

"But dad a 75 is an actually an A"