• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 8, 2009

Looking to draw attention to its campaign for a federal law mandating that restaurants provide nutritional labeling on menus, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has announced the "winners" of its second annual "Xtreme Eating Awards."

The chain-restaurant entrees, desserts and appetizers are singled out based on very high calories and/or levels of saturated fat and sodium.

While adults bear personal responsibility for their dining choices, "you can't exercise personal responsibility if you don't have nutrition information when you order," maintained CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan, in announcing the awards.

Pointing out that government guidelines call for most people to limit their daily intake to 2,000 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 mg of sodium per day, the menu items called out for notoriety by CSPI include: Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue (1,490 calories, 40 grams saturated fat, 3,580 mg sodium); Applebee's Quesadilla Burger (1,820 calories, 46 grams saturated fat, 4,410 mg sodium); Chili's Big Mouth Bites entrée (2,350 calories, 38 grams saturated fat, 3,940 mg sodium); and The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken and Biscuits (2,500 calories).

Menu labeling laws have already been enacted in New York City, Nashville, Tenn., Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., California and Massachusetts, and are now awaiting governors' signatures in Connecticut and Oregon.

CSPI is strongly supporting a federal bill introduced two weeks ago by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), dubbed the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act. That bill would require posting of calories, saturated and trans fat, carbohydrates and sodium content for standardized items in chains with more than 20 restaurants.

In a Technomic, Inc. survey of New Yorkers conducted Jan. 30 through Feb. 3, 82% of those who visit restaurants reported that the posted nutrition information had affected their ordering, with 71% reporting they had sought out lower-calorie options in some cases and 51% reporting that they no longer order certain items.

The restaurant industry lost its court challenge to New York's menu labeling law, enacted last year. One of the federal appellate judges that let the New York law stand was Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's nominee for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.