Maryland lawmakers consider statewide menu icon policy for high-sodium and high-sugar items

Senate Finance Committee hearing follows House testimony on the Informed Dining Act

Maryland lawmakers held hearings this week on the Informed Dining Act (HB 1048/SB 0866), legislation that would require chain restaurants to display a simple icon next to menu items containing more than half a day’s recommended sodium or added sugars.

The House Health Committee heard testimony Tuesday and the Senate Finance Committee heard the bill today.

If enacted, Maryland would become the first state to establish a comprehensive statewide standard requiring menu icons for both high-sodium and high–added sugar items. While New York City has implemented separate policies addressing sodium and added sugars, Maryland’s proposal would create a unified statewide approach.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that the general population ages 14 and older consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and advise limiting added sugars, noting that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars.

Yet restaurant meals frequently approach or exceed those limits in a single order.

In Maryland, more than one in three adults has high blood pressure and about one in eight has diabetes. More than 70 percent of sodium Americans consume comes from packaged and restaurant foods.

“Marylanders should be able to see clearly when a single menu item contains half a day’s worth of sodium or added sugars,” said Dr. DeAnna Nara, PhD, campaign manager at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The Informed Dining Act strengthens transparency at the moment people are making food decisions. It does not restrict products or limit choice — it simply ensures that critical nutrition information is visible and consistent statewide.”

Sen. Alonzo T. Washington, sponsor of SB 866, said the bill reflects Maryland’s ongoing commitment to equitable health.

“By providing a simple menu icon, we’re giving consumers the tools they need to protect themselves and their families,” he said. “It’s a small change that can drive major improvements in community health.”

“Marylanders deserve access to clear, straightforward information about what they’re eating — especially when so many of our families are navigating chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease,” said Del. Emily Shetty, sponsor of the House version of the bill. “This legislation doesn’t limit anyone’s choices; it simply empowers people to make the choices that are right for them.”

Laura Hale, Region Sr. Lead, State Government Relations at the American Heart Association, emphasized the policy’s practical impact.

“This policy works. We are simply giving people transparency so they can make informed choices for themselves, their children, and their parents.”

Federal law already requires calorie labeling for chain restaurants. Major brands such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, KFC, and Dunkin’ already publish sodium and added sugars information online. The Informed Dining Act builds on that existing framework by presenting key nutrition information in a consistent, easy-to-see format at the point of purchase.

The legislation applies to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations and would establish a uniform statewide standard for menu transparency.

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