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| The US government now requires thousands of American restaurants and stores to post nutritional information in a bid to combat obesity (AFP Photo/DON EMMERT) |
Washington
(AFP) - An Obama-era rule requiring thousands of US restaurants, stores and
movie theaters to post nutritional information for items on their menus kicked
in Monday, reminding Americans they are what they eat.
The
calorie-labeling rules were a controversial provision of former president
Barack Obama's signature 2010 health care law -- which President Donald Trump
has pushed to dismantle -- and their implementation has been postponed several
times.
But the
Food and Drug Administration announced last year it would press ahead with the
regulation, which requires chains with 20 or more locations as well as grocery
stores and convenience chains to post calorie counts for standard menu items.
Many major
restaurant chains like McDonald's and Taco Bell are already complying with the
rule, but the federal government will now require it.
"National
menu labeling could help make a big difference in America's obesity rates, one
of our most vexing public health challenges," wrote FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb, citing research that menu labeling prompts consumers to order 30 to
50 calories less per visit.
A number of
public health advocacy groups as well as the National Restaurant Association
have lauded the move, but some industry organizations have lampooned it as
inflexible and anti-business.
"Regrettably,
FDA's one-size-fits-all approach demonstrates a stunning lack of understanding
about consumer preferences and the pizza category," said Tim McIntyre,
chair of the American Pizza Community, a coalition of pizza chains.
"Pizza's
unique ordering variations create countless combinations making it difficult to
accurately deliver information on printed menu boards and costly to
maintain," he said in a statement.
But Gottlieb
emphasized that the FDA has "worked hard to make sure this new rule can be
implemented in a way where the information will be maximally beneficial to
consumers and the new requirements will be minimally burdensome to restaurants
and retail establishments."
"Firms
won't need to deal with a patchwork of different requirements for calorie
labeling across the country," he added.
Posters,
billboards and coupon mailings are exempted, and supermarkets and convenience
stores do not have to post calorie information next to each item in
self-service buffets and drink stations, Gottlieb said last November.
More than a
third of Americans are obese, putting them at higher risk for heart disease,
diabetes and some types of cancer.
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