WASHINGTON – A small part of the Senate health care bill would make restaurant chains with 20 or more units post caloric data for food items on menu boards, the National Journal reports. The provision would be similar to the one already enacted in New York City.
Democrats and Republicans worked together on the measure, which melds the Labeling Education and Nutrition (LEAN) Act of 2008 sponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Reps. Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Fred Upton (R-MI), and the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The current proposal has the backing of the National Restaurant Association, spokesman Michael Donohue said.
“Our customers have been telling us that they are looking for nutrition information to help them make decisions that are better for themselves and their families. The industry is looking to provide our customers with the information they say they want,” said Donohue. “You’ve begun to see over the last few years municipalities, counties and some states begin to require some form of nutrition disclosure and menu labeling. What you’re seeing is a growing patchwork of differing regulations. … This federal agreement would lead to a national uniform standard.”
While the proposal would be limited to bigger chains, knowing how many calories are in a food item might not really help American waistlines. A recent New York City study found that not everyone noticed the calorie information, although the study claimed the posted data changed some consumer behavior.
NACS’s position on the issue is that it currently does not support any proposal for establishing a federal menu-labeling mandate, but does support legislative efforts to streamline and standardize any regulations put on the industry.