Fast Food Restaurant Standardized Labeling

Legislation Supporting Standardized Restaurant Labeling

Fast Food Mandatory Nutrition Labeling

New and long-overdue legislation is now being introduced throughout the country on the state level regarding fast food and chain restaurant menu nutritional labeling. Thirteen states and several local governments now have legislation approved or in the works requiring menu labeling for restaurants with more than twenty locations in the state to comply with standardized nutritional labeling. The state of California has already passed the LEAN Act. The Labeling Education and Nutrition act requires restaurants to provide information on the calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium for each item at the point of sale. This does not necessarily mean on the menu until after 2011, at which time it must start to be included on the menu.

Menu Labeling Long Over Due

These legislation actions are long overdue. Fifteen years ago, when federal nutrition labeling requirements were announced for packaged foods, the restaurant industry loudly objected to applying the same requirements to the restaurant industry. The National
Restaurant Association financed and successfully lobbied against it. Now they are supporting the new LEAN Acts as a method of leveling the playing fields, as some restaurants have voluntarily complied and others have not.

States LEAN Act Legislation

California and several localities, including Philadelphia and New York, have already passed such legislation. On the state level Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Oregon and West Virginia are a few of the states that have introduced the bill. Support the LEAN Act in your state. It will bring a clear, understandable and consistent format to food labeling in chain restaurants and will assist everyone in making better food choices.