The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday is releasing long-awaited rules that will require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to begin posting calorie information on their menus.
Sara N. Bleich, PhD, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is available to comment on the new labeling rules that will take effect a year from now.
“The rules are more expansive than expected which is great from a public health perspective,” she says. “The FDA has elected to interpret the legislation as more comprehensive which will hopefully help consumers better spend their food dollars outside the home.”
The requirements will apply not only to menus and menu boards at sit-down and fast food restaurants, but also to other retail food establishments with 20 or more locations, such as convenience stores and movie theaters. Even some prepared foods sold in supermarkets will be covered as well as vending machines.
Americans spend 50 cents of every food dollar on foods prepared outside the home.Calorie labeling requirements were part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, but implementation has been delayed for several years. Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and the idea is that, with calorie information in full view, people will pay attention and order healthier options.
RSS