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 The FDA set a national standard for restaurant chains with 20 or
more outlets late in 2014, to raise awareness about the risk of
obesity posed by fatty, sugary foods as part of the Affordable Care
Act.
More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The calorie rule covers meals at sit-down restaurants, take-out
food, bakery items, ice cream from an ice-cream store and pizza,
which will be labeled by the slice and whole pie.
They were required to display calories on all menus and menu boards
by Dec. 1, 2015. (http://reut.rs/1vJgqzw)
The rule also includes movie theaters, amusement parks, large
vending machine operators and alcoholic beverages served in
restaurants, but not drinks mixed or served at a bar.
Joan McGlockton, vice president of Industry Affairs and Food Policy
for the National Restaurant Association, said the extension was the
result of establishments' requests for clarity in some areas of
ambiguity.
"For instance, if you have a bottle of wine on your menu, do you
have to put calorie counts for the entire bottle, or do you put it
by the glass?"
The labeling of combo-meals, promotional items, and how the FDA
plans to enforce the rule are other areas of uncertainty, she added.
At the time of publication in December last year, the FDA had given
restaurants one year and vending machine operators two years to
comply with the rule.
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Since then, industry, trade and other associations, have asked for
an additional year to comply, the regulator said on Thursday.
(http://1.usa.gov/1gq77yo)
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who was the chief sponsor of
menu-labeling legislation for nearly a decade, said she had urged
the FDA to ensure there are no more delays.
"...Between the rule and FDA's efforts, industry has more than
enough information to implement menu labeling," she said in a
statement.
To keep the process moving, the FDA plans to issue in August a draft
guidance to answer frequently asked questions the agency has
received to assist covered establishments in complying with the
rule, it said.
Panera Bread Co was the first company to voluntarily display calorie
information at all its cafes nationwide in 2010.
(Editing by Don Sebastian)
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