US FDA to Issue Guidance on Menu Labeling Requirements

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will provide further guidance on menu labeling requirements by the end of this year, to address concerns from the eating-out sector.

The guidance will provide greater clarity and certainty regarding calorie and nutrition information, according to a statement made by FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb. The commissioner explains that Americans should not have to navigate variable information about the foods they eat when traveling from state to state or city to city. Inconsistent state and local requirements may also drive up the cost of food, and sow confusion, by requiring restaurants and other covered establishments to post different information based on location.

“We take seriously our obligation to consumers to make sure they have access to useful menu labeling information in a simple and timely manner. We also share Congress’s goal in enacting these labeling provisions, to ensure that calorie and nutrition information is delivered in a clear, consistent and predictable way. Similarly, we recognize our obligation to provide clear guidance so that restaurants and other establishments that are subject to these provisions have clarity and certainty as to how they can efficiently meet the new menu labeling requirements,” according to the statement.

Gottlieb says that FDA has issued detailed regulations addressing what information should be provided in menus at restaurant chains and other similar retail establishments, as well as when and how that information should be provided. Earlier this year, FDA solicited another round of feedback on our regulation, which has helped to further inform its approach to implementing the menu labeling provisions.

“This additional guidance will address concerns that were raised about challenges establishments faced in understanding how to meet their obligations under the new regulations. We have been diligently working to address the comments we received, and to establish a sustainable framework for enabling establishments to effectively meet the new menu labeling provisions. These new policy steps should allow covered establishments to implement the requirements by next year’s compliance date,” he adds.