The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed new regulations that all restaurants in the nation should provide menu-labeling; adding calorie counts on menus and menu boards of chain restaurants.
The proposal was released this past Friday with the details of how menu labeling should be implemented in the restaurant industry. The FDA hopes to issue these final rules by the end of 2011 and predicts that they should become effective six months later.
Another detail that has been proposed to be added to the labeling of menus is for them to provide a reference point of appropriate caloric intake for customers. An example of this would be to include phrases such as “A 2,000 calorie diet is used as the basis for general nutrition advice; however, individual calorie needs may vary”.
The FDA proposal added that such guidelines would “help the public understand the significance of the calorie information provided”.
Although many chain restaurants – especially fast food franchises – already post the nutritional information of their menu online and in stores, the new regulations will probably hit the “casual and upscale dining sector” harder since most of them don't already provide nutritional information.
Dawn Sweeney, the President and CEO of The National Restaurant Association stated that “The publication of the proposed regulations in the Federal Register today is the next step forward in providing the industry with consistent, national requirements on how to implement the new uniform nutrition information standard”. It is true that these regulations are a major step in providing people nationwide with guidelines on how to lead a healthy lifestyle and will encourage them to make more educated decisions on their nutritional intake. Furthermore, menu-labeling is sure to induce customer appreciation, because not only does the information help those who want to watch their weight or prefer to eat healthy, but it expresses a certain concern for customers well-being.
The NRA will provide the FDA with details on how to ensure that restaurants are given the appropriate time to comply with the new regulations effectively and on how to present the information to consumers in the most useful and direct way. Furthermore, what with the nation's obesity problems, the new regulations will encourage a more educated and healthier America.
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