Nutrition News: Time to Freeze Fish, Fruit and Veggie Fail, Calorie-Count Label Delay

NYC rules for raw-fish freeze, Americans fail to eat their fruits and vegetables, FDA extends calorie-label deadline.
Fresh Frozen Fish

Sushi and ceviche lovers, take note: Fish served raw or undercooked in New York City restaurants will soon be required to cool its fins for a bit in the freezer before it hits your plate — anywhere from 15 hours to a week, minimum, depending on the temperature and freezing process. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued the directive, set to take effect in August, in keeping with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, which aim to rid fish of parasites and bacteria. According to The New York Times, however, many NYC chefs already flash-freeze their fish in order to rid it of potential pathogens, and say it does not affect taste.

Failing on the Fruit-Eating Front

Do you eat the one and a half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables per day recommended by federal dietary guidelines? If not, you are, sadly, far from alone. A new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report reveals that only about one in 10 Americans regularly consume the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables — 13 percent hit the mark for fruit and less than 9 percent of us do for vegetables. The researchers recommend taking action to turn things around with better pricing, placement and promotion for fruits and veggies in stores, schools, child-care facilities and workplaces. "We just have to get into the habit of replacing some of those foods we normally eat with fruits and vegetables," epidemiologist and lead author Latetia Moore said.

Calorie-Count Countdown Extended

Anyone looking forward to being able to peruse the calorie count of menu items at chain restaurants while ordering — thanks to new regulations requiring them to be posted “clearly and conspicuously" — will have to wait an additional year to do so. The Food and Drug Administration has extended the federal menu-labeling deadline until December 1, 2016, a year past the original deadline, in order to give restaurants and other retailers time to transition — training workers and updating menus, menu boards and software systems. The new rules apply to restaurants and prepared-food retailers, including grocery and convenience stores, movie theaters, bakeries and coffee shops, with at least 20 locations. Blissful ignorance, your days are numbered.

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. A regular contributor to The Los Angeles Times, she has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Marie Claire, The Daily Beast and Wine Spectator, among others, as well as for Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish .

Next Up

The Nutrition Label's New Look

The food label on packaged food has been there since the early 1990’s. With all the label confusion, the FDA finally decided it was time the nutrition label got a makeover (we couldn’t agree more!). Although the proposed changes were released a few months ago, a new black and white food label photo was released this morning.

Nutrition News: Nutrition Labels, GMO-Free Products and Organic Recalls

Front-of-pack nutrition labels prompt buying, more GMO-free products contain labels, and organic-product recalls have increased.

Nutrition News: Defining "Natural," Healthy Kids' Meals, Calorie Counts in Question, and a Coconut Oil Warning

Michael Pollan mulls the meaning of "natural," a menu switcheroo helps kids eat healthier, nut calorie counts are not all they’re cracked up to be, and coconut oil is not heart-healthy.

Reading List: New Coke Calorie Labels, Candy Linked to Violence & More

Coke moves to make their calorie info more clear, a healthy eating kids book hits the market and you can make money by changing your lifestyle.

Nutrition News: Fiber's Sleep Effects, Sugar Warning Labels, Coffee and Exercise

A high-fiber diet could help you sleep; sugar warning labels prove effective; coffee may be key to fitness-plan success.

Nutrition News: General Mills Cereal Gets Real, Water Is Recalled, "Fitness" Food Fails

General Mills to rid cereals of artificial flavors and colors, Niagara recalls bottled spring water, and "fitness" foods may backfire.

Nutrition News: Fast-Food Kids, Vegetable Supply, Plate Size Matters

American kids love fast food, U.S. vegetable supply falls short, and why you may want smaller plates.

Nutrition News: Packaged-Food Changes at Target, USDA GMO-Free Labels, Banishing Belly Fat

Target targets healthier foods, and the USDA introduces a new GMO-free labeling system. Also, find out the best way to whittle your waistline.

Nutrition News: Nuts About Nuts, Calorie-Cutting Rice Hack, Kraft and Diet Group Part Ways

Find out why you should go nuts for nuts and how to reduce the calories in rice. Also, Kraft and a dietitians group end their partnership.

Nutrition News: Chipotle Unseats Subway, FDA Added-Sugar Label Rules and Soybean Oil Health Effects

Subway cedes top “healthy” chain spot to Chipotle; FDA to require added-sugar info on labels; and a study says soybean oil may be making us fat and diabetic.