The Food and Drug Administration announced it would extend the deadline until Dec. 1, 2016, for restaurants and retail food establishments to comply with the new menu labeling requirements. The rule requires chain restaurants, vending machines, supermarket delis and convenience stores to provide calorie information on menus and menus boards.
The Food Marketing Institute was pleased with the FDA’s announcement. The FMI said, “we’re encouraged that FDA’s commitment will give us more time to at least garner some clarity and answers without feeling rushed to make difficult business decisions in an attempt to comply by Dec. 1, 2015, with regulations that are unclear.”
However, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) was dismayed by the FDA’s announcement. She said, “over the past year, the FDA has done extensive outreach, provided a compliance guide for small entities and answered questions from industry. Between the rule and the FDA’s efforts, industry has more than enough information to implement menu labelling. Enough is enough. Industry is doing everything they can to stonewall implementation of this important public health tool.”
