I totally agree with Allan. Many of the previous posts are in regards to manufacturing when the OP is about the restauarnt business. These are 2 totally different animals. In manufacturing everything is tightly measured to produce a consistent product time after time after time. It makes sense that these to put warning labels on these (although as a opponent to big government I have an issue with them wanting to get their hands into everything). But in the restaurant world, especially the world of fine dining it is almost impossible to accurately measure the amount of salt in a product. Do you want your grill man or saute guy to have to weigh out the salt each time they go to season a piece of meat before cooking? Do you want to end the chef's "line check" where he/she walks the line, tastes sauces, etc. and adjusts the seasoning, because under this rule that would be impossible as everything should have/will be measured precisely to make sure it is in compliance with the labeling law?
But why not just underseason things and let people then salt it for themselves, at the table? Well, first off that then, kind of negates the whole purpose of this law as people won't be paying attention to the amount of salt that they put on their steak. And, secondly, food just tastes better when seasoned before, or during cooking, and you achieve much more depth of flavor doing it this way instead of salting at the table. Besides, when you season properly, while cooking, instead of just at the table, you actually end up using less salt.
Allan also brings up another great point about the cumulative nature of dining. This labeling program gives a false sense of security. Each dish may have just missed the mark for being labeled so the customer doesn't see a label and thinks that this is a low sodium dish, but, in reality, after eating 3 courses they have well surpassed the USDA recommended allowances. And make no doubt about it, if you use such a labeling program people will interpret the lack of a symbol to mean low sodium.
Finally, there is the cost factor, even if you don't take into account the possibility of variances due to last minute seasoning, each dish on the menu will need to be sent to a lab to be tested at least once to determine the actual, precise salt content. That is a huge expense and that doesn't even take into account specials. Would specials be exempt? If not, then forget about truely inspired chef specials as chefs would need to create a list of tested recipes that they just rotate through, because untested specials would not meet the requirements.
Of course, fast food and chains would have it much easier, but this would put an undue burden on independent restuarants. Instead of spending all this money on labels spend it on educating the public and let them make their own decisions, for good or for bad.
