Menu Labeling Law

Americans eat 1/3 of their calories outside the home. Research has shown that food eaten outside the home is less nutritious than food is eaten in the home.

If you saw the calories on the menu would you think twice about your choice? That is the FDA’s goal with the new menu labeling law. When you see the lasagna that you typically order is 650 calories (not including the two breadsticks eaten beforehand), will you choose an option that is lower in calories?

Beginning May 5, 2017 chain restaurants and other food establishments nationwide will be required to post the nutrition information on menus. This law is named the Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments.

Menu Labeling Requirements

• The caloric information must be included on the menu.
• The FDA is requiring that the following statement be placed on the menu, “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary.”
• Each restaurant needs to have a separate handout that contains other nutrition information such as protein, fiber, sugar, total carbohydrates, etc. available when customers request to see this information.

Location

On standard menus, the caloric count will be located by the name or price of the item. As for self-service items, such as salad bars and buffets, the calories will be located on signs near the food. The caloric information is not required for temporary items, specials, custom orders, or condiments (1).

Covered Establishments

Restaurants that must comply are those qualified as covered establishments. The FDA defines a “covered establishment” as a restaurant that has 20 or more locations. This includes chain restaurants, fast food stores, convenience stores, movie theaters, amusement parks, coffee shops, bakeries, and more. A total of 300,000 food establishments will be required to follow this law.

Why Menu Labeling?

The labeling will help consumers be more aware of what is in the food they are eating. Menu labeling will allow customers at restaurants to be more informed of their decisions (2). The more information customers know about the foods they are consuming, the better and more equipped they will be in making better decisions for health. We as customers of restaurants should not have to play the guessing game as to which food has less calories or which item is healthier than another item. Hopefully, this will not only have an effect on the customer but it will also provoke food establishments to provide healthier, lower calorie options.

Citations

1. Food Labeling; Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments. (14, December 1). The Daily Journal of the United States Government, 71155–71259. doi:2014–27833
2. Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied. “Labeling & Nutrition — Calorie Labeling on Restaurant Menus and Vending Machines: What You Need To Know.” WebContent. Accessed July 26, 2016. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm436722.htm.

Originally published at blog.watson-inc.com.