STORES, MENUS DISPLAY CALORIES
new york » Calorie counts are popping up on some restaurant menus and for prepared foods at supermarkets, whether you want to see them or not.
A federal regulation requiring food sellers to post the nutrition numbers by Fridaywas postponed again last week until 2018, after years of delays amid opposition from pizza chains, convenience stores and grocers. But many chains had been scrambling to comply, and say they don’t plan to alter course right now.
“We were running hard toward the Friday deadline,” said Keith Dailey, a spokesman forKroger, in an email.
Kroger Co., which operates chains including King Soopers, Ralph’s and Fry’s, said it plans to be “mostly” compliant by this week. Albertsons, which owns Safeway andVons, also said shoppers will find calorie counts for prepared foods like cut fruit, salads and muffins. The company’s Jewel-Osco chain is also sticking with plans to do so, the Chicago Tribune reported recently.
At Whole Foods in New York last week, calorie counts were posted on most hot food and salad bar items, and the chain said it’s still committed to the recent, delayed deadline.
An Indian chicken dish at its hot food bar was listed at 130 calories for a 3-ounce serving, and a rice dish was listed at 120 calories per 4-ounce serving. The signs didn’t indicate what those serving sizes look like.
WhileNewYork City and some other places already require res- taurant chains to post calorie counts, the federal rule would make the numbers more widely available and require places like supermarkets and convenience stores to do so aswell. It applies to chains with 20 or more locations, andwas initially passed in 2010 as part of the Obama administration’s health care overhaul.
The National Restaurant Association supports the standard because itwants to avoid dealing with a patchwork of local laws, and because the federal rule includes other establishments that serve food.
“The convenience and grocery chains see it as a competitive advantage if we have (calorie information up) and they don’t,” said Dunkin’ BrandsCEONigelTravis. The company’s chains, Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins, began posting calories last year.
Subway also began posting calorie counts last year, saying peoplewere confused by the repeated delays. McDonald’s and Panera already had been doing so.
But supermarkets and convenience stores say their offerings are far more complicated than traditional restaurants. Pizza chain Domino’s also has been a vocal opponent and says it should be able to disclose the information online since most orders are not placed in stores.
The delay could give the National Association of Convenience Stores time to push for the option of posting calories in a centralized location, rather than right by food and drinks.
The trade group says many convenience stores— which are selling more prepared foods than ever — don’t want to roll out the information until they’re certain the rule is final. The National Grocers Association said many of its members are trying to adhere to the rule, but are still confused about certain aspects of it.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says she’sworried the delay offers businesses more time to weaken the rule by lobbying the Trump administration.
The FDA has fielded a range of questions from businesses seeking clarity, according to emails obtained by The Associated Press. Among the issues: How calories should be calculated if a pizza company gets pepperoni from multiple suppliers. The FDA’s advicewas to use the one with highest calorie count.
For shoppers, just how meaningful the calorie counts will be can vary. Some may not notice the numbers, while others use them to guide their decisions.
CalvinWalden, an attorney, said he likes having it available inNew York City. He noted a time when he skipped a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich at Dunkin’ Donuts in favor of a Boston Kreme doughnut with fewer calories. “It was like I was on a diet,” he said.