ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Convenience retailers have a great opportunity to impact a possible rewrite of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) menu labeling rule.

Before it was set to take effect last month, FDA delayed its rule for another year, this time largely in response to a petition filed by NACS and the National Grocers Association. At the same time, FDA also announced its intention to review the rule, stating: “We are extending the compliance date to May 7, 2018. We are taking this action to enable us to consider how we might further reduce the regulatory burden or increase flexibility while continuing to achieve our regulatory objectives, in keeping with the administration’s policies.”

FDA also reopened the public comment period for 60 days, which gives our industry until July 3 to offer suggestions on how the agency can bring clarity to its rule. NACS will be filing comments on behalf of the association, but it is also important that convenience retailers file their own comments with the FDA.

To file comments, NACS has made the process easy; click here to access an instructional page with directions and direct links to file comments electronically. NACS has also prepared a letter template, in which retailers can change the highlighted sections to fit their own information. NACS also encourages retailers to personalize their comments as much as possible. Oftentimes, agencies that receive identical letters will combine them into one, even if they originate from different sources.

NACS is also hosting a webinar on Thursday, June 8, at 2:00 pm EST, to assist retailers with the comment filing process. During the webinar, NACS and its legal counsel will walk through the background of why filing comments is necessary and the step-by-step process for retailers to participate.