NEW YORK CITY – Last week the NYC Board of Health unanimously approved a measure to require many chain restaurants to post a warning label on menu items that are high in sodium, reports The New York Times, adding that health experts say the measure would help combat heart disease and set a new standard for nutritional transparency.

The rule is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. The warning symbol, a saltshaker encased in a black triangle, will be placed next to any menu item that contains more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium, the daily limit many nutritionists recommend.

For example, notes the Times, menu items such as a large turkey club at Quiznos (5,820 milligrams) and a half-rack of ribs at T.G.I. Friday’s (2,420 milligrams) would include the warning symbol.
Panera Bread, with 1,900 restaurants across the country, told the Times that it welcomes the new sodium warnings, which align with the company’s goal of providing more “menu transparency.”

However, Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York State Restaurant Association, said it would be better for NYC to abide by federal menu-labeling regulations, which are slated for December 1, 2016. “I understand the city Board of Health is very pleased to lead the way on these nutritional initiatives,” she told the Times, “but what we see is that it ends up creating a patchwork of regulations across multiple states.”