A state judge has ruled against the National Restaurant Association in its bid to overturn a New York City regulation requiring chain restaurants to post sodium warnings next to certain menu items.

Last year, NYC's board of health required restaurants in the city with at least 15 locations nationwide to post warning labels next to menu items with at least 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is the recommended daily allowance of sodium intake, according to NPR.

The regulation has been in effect since December but the city will start issuing fines to restaurants out of compliance March 1.

NRA sued the city last year, arguing the regulation is not only costly, but it unfairly targets chain restaurants because it does not apply to locally owned businesses.

Justice Eileen Rakower of the New York State Supreme Court ruled against the association Wednesday, arguing in her decision that "information is power." New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the ruling in a statement.

"If your meal has so much sodium that it merits a salt shaker on the menu, then—for the sake of your health—order something else," he said. http://n.pr/1R4f9rp

NRA vowed to keep fighting. The association plans to appeal the ruling and said it would seek "emergency interim relief" from the Appellate Division of the New York courts that would stay enforcement of the law pending that court's decision.

"We believe today's decision by the court to uphold this arbitrary, onerous and costly mandate is a blow to small business owners and undoes the very uniformity we worked for in advocating for a national federal menu-labeling standard," said Angelo Amador, NRA's regulatory counsel. http://bit.ly/1XONZdi

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