FDA Delays Menu Calorie Count Requirements For A Year
The mandate is part of the federal health law. Restaurants, movie theaters and other affected retails outlets have asked for more time to make the changes.
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Extends Deadline For Calorie Counts On Menus
The Food and Drug Administration has delayed by a year the deadline for the nation’s chain restaurants, pizza parlors and movie theaters to post calorie counts on their menus in what some consumer advocates said was a setback for public health but others contended would simply give companies enough time to comply. Pressure had been growing to delay the rule, which was proposed in November and would have taken effect at the end of this year. ... Menu labeling became law in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act, and the F.D.A. issued a proposal for how it should be carried out the next year. But the final rule was delayed for three years, due in part to fierce opposition from some national chains, including pizza restaurants and movie theaters.(Tavernise, 7/9)
The Associated Press:
FDA: Calories On Menus, Menu Boards Delayed Until 2016
FDA said it is extending the deadline after restaurants and other retailers said they needed more time to put the rules in place. The agency said those businesses are in the process of training workers, installing menus and menu boards and developing software and technology for more efficient and specific calorie label displays. (Jalonick, 7/9)
The Washington Post:
The FDA Has Delayed Menu Calorie Count Rules
The move comes amid persistent pressure on the agency from various corners of the food industry to delay enforcement of the rules. The FDA said that since February, it has received numerous requests from for a postponement, including from groups such as the Food Marketing Institute, the National Association of Theater Owners, the American Beverage Association and Publix Super Markets. (Dennis, 7/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
FDA Extends Deadline For Listing Calories On Menus
The Food and Drug Administration is giving restaurants and other food purveyors an additional year to comply with new rules that require calorie counts on menus, a response to concerns by some food establishments that the requirements are confusing and broad. ... The agency said it would post a draft guidance document in August to answer some of the frequently asked questions from the industry, and Mr. Taylor said the agency now and after the Dec. 1, 2016, compliance date “will work flexibly and collaboratively with individual companies making a good-faith effort to comply with the law.” (Gasparro, 7/9)
The Hill:
FDA Delays ObamaCare's Menu Labeling Rule
The Food and Drug Administration is delaying a controversial ObamaCare rule that requires restaurants to list the number of calories in the food they sell. Restaurants and grocery stores will not have to comply with the contentious new rule until after the 2016 presidential election — at which time a Republican president could choose to scrap the rule altogether. (Devaney, 7/9)
