Baking & Snack - August 2010 - 8

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor

Full Disclosure

ometime next year, all of us who dine out will find a new offering on the menu:
nutrition disclosure. This new regulatory requirement, part of the healthcare
legislation enacted earlier this year, brings with it a great business opportunity
in customer relations for companies that sell to food service operations.
Your customers are about to go through what you experienced 20 years ago under
the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990. The food processing industry did
not find it easy to implement mandatory nutritional labeling, but it accomplished the
change. Now, your experience can help your customers provide the accountability and
transparency being asked of them.
First, what are the new requirements? The Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act of 2010 in Section 4205 amended the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic
Act by requiring chain restaurants, similar food establishments and vending machines with 20 or more locations to provide specific nutrition labeling information. Calorie content must be posted on menus, menu boards and drive-through
boards. Also, buffets, salad bars and other self-service items must provide caloric
information adjacent to the item. Additional nutrition information must be provided in writing (for example, a brochure). Operators must list calories from fat,
total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber
and protein, plus a succinct statement of suggested daily calorie intake. Those
requirements cover nearly all the components now found in the Nutrition Facts
panel on packaged foods. The act gave responsibility for regulating the food service industry in this matter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The law
requires FDA to publish proposed regulations within one year of the measure's
March 23, 2010, enactment date. FDA opened the docket to public comment on
this for 60 days, starting July 7.
Second, and more importantly, what does this food service situation have to do with
the baking and snack industries? Nothing, unless your company also operates a restaurant chain or vending machines in 20 or more locations. But the new rules will apply
to your food service customers, and here's where the business opportunity occurs.
You've already done the work to determine calorie and nutrient content for your
consumer-labeled foods. You have the statistical and analytical tools and access to the
resources required. You use these every time you introduce a new product, change a
formulation or alter a serving size.
While the largest food service organizations have already begun to staff up to meet
this challenge, nearly all midsize and small chains will struggle to comply. The nutrient
declaration process will be entirely new to most of your food service customers. At the
minimum, they will expect you to provide nutrition information specific to your products.
Why not take this opportunity to build deeper relationships
with those customers by offering your experience, insight
and references? You can be a big help to them as they go
through the regulatory "full disclosure" process.
In today's highly competitive business environment,
you can turn your costs for regulatory labeling compliance into an investment in customer service.
- Laurie Gorton, executive editor
lgorton@sosland.com

BAKING & SNACK / August 2010

Steve Berne
sberne@sosland.com
Executive Editor
Laurie Gorton
lgorton@sosland.com
Executive Editor
Dan Malovany
dmalovany@sosland.com
Senior Editor
Shane Whitaker
swhitaker@sosland.com
Senior Associate Editor
Jennifer Barnett Fox
jfox@sosland.com
Contributing Editors:
Donna Berry
Rebeca López-García
Richard F. Stier
Columnists:
Jim Kline
jkline@theensolgroup.com
Theresa Cogswell
bakercogs@sbcglobal.net
Anne Giesecke, PhD
info@a-dpolicyanalysis.com
Joe Stout
joestout@cf-san.com
DESIGN STAFF
Design Services Manager
Sadowna Conarroe
Designer
Jennifer Morris
Manager of Advertising Design
Becky White
Classified Ad Layout
Christina Sullivan
Design Team Assistant
Steve Piatt
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Chairman
Charles S. Sosland
Vice-Chairman
L. Joshua Sosland
President
Mark Sabo
Publishing Director
G. Michael Gude
Publisher
Paul Lattan
Vice-President,
Chief Financial Officer
Melanie Hepperly
Audience Development Director Don Keating
Director of E-Business
Jon Hall
Advertising Manager
Nora Wages
Ad Materials Coordinator
Debbie Maniez
Digital Systems Analyst
Marj Potts
Circulation Manager
Judy Arnone
Director of Online
Advertising & Promotions
Carrie Fluegge
Promotions Manager
Alissa Nower
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Baking & Snack - August 2010

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