Busy Bee, a Chinese food eatery, is one of many non-chain restaurants that is not required to provide nutritionl information. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor
As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, grilled paninis, and orange chicken fill your nose, you quickly make a decision as your stomach begins to growl, crying for food. as you narrow your lunch options, you convince yourself you need to stick with a healthier diet.
Those who wish to eat healthy, or who are restricted to certain diets due to a health condition, may elect to skim over a restaurants nutritional guide to help them make a choice, yet certain restaurants at the Titan Student Union may not be able to hand you one.
According to SB1420, the California labeling bill that was enacted July 1, 2009, non-chain restaurants such as the Busy Bee, Fresh Kitchen and Langsdorf Hall Express are not required by law to provide nutritional information.
The bill states that only chain restaurants need to provide nutritional information with the calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat and sodium for all standard items either in brochure form, or posted on all menus.
However, the law “applies to fast-food and other chain restaurants having 20 or more outlets in California,” said Christina Martinez, the general manager of the CSUF Food Court.
“We have requested that Busy Bee look into producing a brochure for us to carry, and are pursuing the possibility of having a brochure made for the Fresh Kitchen in the near future,” Martinez said.
Still, some students express concerns.
“That’s morally and ethically wrong,” said Aldo Guereca, a 19-year-old sophomore majoring in sociology. “Chain or not, a customer should have the right to know what’s in his or her food.”
Health issues are also a worry to students.
“I think that every restaurant on campus should have nutritional information,” said Amanda Benz, an 18-year-old history major. “It can be dangerous to some people with allergies and for those of us who want to know about calories.”
Meanwhile, chain restaurants in California will be required to make nutritional information more visually apparent to customers by next year.
According to the same bill, chain restaurants will have to “provide the calorie content information for all standard menu items, menu boards and on display tags used by the facility.”
But again, this won’t apply at CSUF, unless the Fresh Kitchen or Busy Bee meet the requirements in the meantime.