Five Common Questions on the New Menu Labeling Requirements

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration previously published a final rule on nutrition labeling of standard menu items in restaurants and similar food establishments. The original compliance date for the menu labeling provisions was December 1, 2015. The FDA then extended the compliance date on three separate occasions. Now, almost three and a half years after the final rule was published, the FDA’s menu labeling rules went into effect earlier this month.

What does this mean for the food retail industry? We answer common questions related to the new menu labeling requirements.

Who is covered?To be covered by the rule, the establishment must meet two primary requirements:

First, the establishment must be a “restaurant or similar retail food establishment.” Generally speaking, that broad definition includes any retail food establishment that offers for sale “restaurant type food.” The term “restaurant type food” includes food that is eaten on the premises, while walking…