U. S. CALORIE COUNT RULES CAUSING INDIGESTION
Diners in the United States could soon see calorie counts on the menus of chain restaurants. But will they be able to get that same clear information at grocery stores, convenience stores, movie theatres or airplanes? Mary Clare Jalonick reports on how cl
RESTAURANTS
The restaurant industry pushed for menu labelling and helped it become law as part of a health overhaul in 2010. Chain restaurants operating nationwide wanted federal standards because of an evolving patchwork of state and local laws requiring calorie labelling. Not all restaurants are happy with menu labelling. Pizza restaurants, led by delivery giant Domino’s, say it doesn’t make sense to force their franchisees to order expensive new menu boards when few people walk into their brick- and- mortar outlets. They want the information online. The pizza companies say there are more than 34 million ways to order a pizza, and they need more flexibility on labelling than other restaurants.
SUPERMARKETS AND CONVENIENCE STORES
The supermarket and convenience store industries were perhaps the most unhappy with the rules the FDA proposed in 2011. The agency proposed requiring those stores to label calories for prepared foods on menu boards and displays. The restaurant industry has pushed for those outlets to be included, arguing that many of them are promoting their prepared food sales and directly competing with restaurants. Nutrition advocates want the stores included, saying that a rotisserie chicken labelled with a calorie count at a restaurant should also be labelled at the grocery store takeout next door.
MOVIE THEATRES
Movie theatre chains lobbied to be left out and appeared to win that fight when they were exempted in 2011’ s proposed rules. But nutrition groups are lobbying to include them in the final rules, especially because movie treats can be so unhealthy. Nutrition lobbyist Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says many people don’t realize they are eating a day’s worth of calories when they stop by the movie concessions counter and grab a large popcorn and extra- large soda.
AIRPLANES AND TRAINS
Passengers will most likely be able to purchase food calorie- blind in the air and on the rails. Along with movie theatres, airlines and trains were exempted from the proposed labelling rules in 2011. The FDA said that it would likely exempt food served in places where the “primary business activity is not the sale of food” and that don’t “present themselves publicly as a restaurant.” That also includes amusement parks, sports stadiums and hotels, unless restaurants set up in those places are part of a larger chain.
VENDING MACHINES
Vending machines will be required to have labels, but the industry — comprised mostly of smaller operators — is asking for flexibility in how they are required to post them. Eric Dell of the National Automatic Merchandising Association says the rules would be a “huge burden” on these small businesses.