NATSO, Others Urge Lawmakers to Pass Menu Labeling Reform As Compliance Deadline Approaches

NATSO and a number of its members joined more than 250 food and retail groups in urging members of the House and Senate to pass the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 before new federal menu-labeling rules take effect May 5.
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NATSO and a number of its members joined more than 250 food and retail groups in urging members of the House and Senate to pass the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 before new federal menu-labeling rules take effect May 5.

The legislation would provide businesses that have highly varied menu offerings with the flexibility necessary to more efficiently comply with the caloric disclosure rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA’s rule is exceedingly burdensome and complicated for convenience stores to satisfy, for example.

In its letter, which was sent to lawmakers on April 24, the group of businesses and trade associations representing travel plazas, convenience stores, general merchandise stores, supermarkets, grocery stores and pizza chains said that FDA wrote the menu-labeling rule for restaurants with a fixed menu but ignored all others in the marketplace.

In addition, the groups said FDA has failed to respond to requests from industry and suggestions from Congress to provide additional flexibility in the compliance regime.

The industries are seeking a national standard for disclosing the caloric content of the food they sell to customers while at the same time alleviating undue burdens that ultimately would result in fewer food choices for consumers.

CSNDA also eliminates the possibility that store managers would be subjected to felony penalties for inadvertent errors in the calorie disclosures, and protects all covered stores and restaurants from the threat of frivolous litigation.

NATSO members are reminded that the FDA’s menu-labeling rules are scheduled to take effect on May 5. NATSO members should continue to prepare to meet that compliance deadline even as NATSO continues to seek change in the rule.

NATSO has prepared a summary and compliance guide detailing the final rule and the steps NATSO members must take to comply. 

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