One wildly popular “health and wellness” chain may find itself in the crosshairs of a salty Bronx councilman who’s putting common sense on the menu.
Health-conscious City Councilman Oswald J. Feliz is taking a stand against absurd levels of sodium, targeting some of the Big Apple’s most popular restaurants.
He’s demanding that chain restaurants include red-type warning signs for items containing “excessive” sodium, in a recently introduced bill.
The push comes as The Post revealed that Pura Vida Miami, the Florida-based food chain that has taken New York by storm, has been quietly fattening up its fashionista fanbase — one overpriced acai bowl at a time.
“Overconsumption of sodium continues to be a major cause of health complications, including hypertension, kidney damage, and heart failure,” Feliz said.
“The chain restaurants are literally killing their customers – customers who do not realize how much sodium they are consuming.”
The bill would call on food service establishments to display a “red and white equilateral triangle icon” on menus and menu boards or tagged on any food item containing in excess of “1,800 milligrams of sodium.”
It would also require a “warning statement” displayed at the point of purchase.
Pure Vida, which bills itself as a “beacon of health-conscious living,” lists 10 menu items with a whopping 1,800 milligrams or more of sodium, according to its nutritional table the chain is required to post per FDA ruling.
Salt-busting favorites include the $15 Perfect Egg Sandwich, which contains a mind-boggling 3,160 milligrams of sodium, and the $19 Tuna Sprout sandwich and $19 Kale Chicken Caesar wrap, which both sport 2,240 milligrams.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams a day of sodium — with a daily goal of 1,500.
Pura Vida also violated city regulations “by placing tables and chairs on an Upper East Side sidewalk without a permit” from the Department of Transportation, according to a recent Upper East Site report.
After its Yorkville fall opening, one of six recent locations popping up around the city, Pura Vida allegedly clogged the sidewalk at 1598 Second Ave., on the corner of East 83rd Street with a dozen tables and chairs that created a “chokepoint for pedestrian traffic.”
“We take any concerns about the quality of our food extremely seriously,” a Pura Vida Miami spokesperson told The Post, adding the company is working with a third party to “audit our menu’s nutritional facts” and will update next month.
“At Pura Vida Miami, we are committed to transparency and serving wholesome food to our communities.”
Read the full article here
