bake - December 2014 - 58

cafe
Calorie Counting
The US Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 25 finalized two
rules requiring that calorie information be listed on menus and
menu boards in chain restaurants, similar retail food establishments
(including bakery cafes) with 20 or more locations to
provide consumers with more nutritional information about
the foods they eat outside of the home. The rules are required
by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Restaurants and similar retail food establishments will have one
year to comply with the menu labeling requirements.
"Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories
away from home and people today expect clear information
about the products they consume," says FDA commissioner
Margaret Hamburg. "Making calorie information available on
chain restaurant menus and vending machines is an important
step for public health that will help consumers make informed
choices for themselves and their families."
The menu labeling final rule applies to restaurants and similar
retail food establishments if they are part of a chain of 20
or more locations, doing business under the same name
and offering for sale substantially the same menu items.
Supermarkets are included. Covered food establishments will
be required to clearly and conspicuously display calorie information
for standard items on menus and menu boards, next to
the name or price of the item. Seasonal menu items offered for
sale as temporary menu items, daily specials and condiments
for general use typically available on a counter or table are
exempt from the labeling requirements.
Some states, localities and various large restaurant chains are
already doing their own forms of menu labeling. The 1990
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the law establishing
nutrition labeling on most foods, did not cover nutrition
labeling for restaurants and other ready-to-eat foods.
In the years that followed, states and cities created their own
labeling requirements for such foods. These federal standards
will help avoid situations in which a chain restaurant subject to
the federal requirements has to meet different requirements in
different states.
"Americans eat and drink
about one-third of their
calories away from home
and people today expect
clear information about the
products they consume."
Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner
58 < DEC 2014 | bakemag.com
The FDA considered more than 1,100 comments from stakeholders
and consumers in developing these rules. In response
to comments, the FDA narrowed the scope of foods covered
by the rule to more clearly focus on restaurant-type food,
made other adjustments such as ensuring the flexibility for
multi-serving dishes like pizza to be labeled by the slice rather
than as a whole pie, and provided establishments with additional
time to comply with the rule.
In addition, the menu labeling final rule now includes certain
alcoholic beverages served in covered food establishments
and listed on the menu, but still provides flexibility in how
establishments meet this provision. The majority of comments
supported including alcohol because of the impact on public
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bake - December 2014

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