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I am sharing part of an email to me from the FDA regarding a question about the new Menu Policy.
“Effective May 5, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require disclosure of calories and other nutrition information for standard menu items on menus and menu boards. All chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations nationwide must make these disclosures, but most grocery and convenience stores, bowling alleys, movie theaters, sports venues and vending machines, will be subject to the rules as well.
There is guidance (attached) to help businesses listed above comply with the menu labeling rules, including how to list calories for alcohol beverages, including beer. In general, the FDA expects a separate accurate calorie disclosure for every alcoholic beverage, including every beer on a menu. The calories must be specific to the beer or style and to the serving size(s) offered. Restaurants will also need to make additional nutrition information available upon request, including calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars and protein.
The rules say that restaurants and other retail establishments may use a variety of sources, including USDA databases, laboratory analysis and recipes to calculate calories and determine nutrient disclosures, so long as there is a “reasonable basis” for the calories and nutrients selected and disclosed. You can expect most chain restaurants and similar food establishments to look to individual brewers and beer distributors for accurate brand-specific calorie and nutrient information.
The USDA database is currently limited in terms of information regarding beer, so it may not be a “reasonable” source. Again, expect most chain restaurants and other retail establishments to ask product producers for accurate calorie and nutrient information. A restaurant or other similar food establishment may reasonably rely on an on-product serving facts disclosure under TTB 2013-2 for a beer calorie disclosure.
Many food establishments are already taking steps to prepare for the May 2017 implementation date by analyzing or verifying nutrition information for their various offerings. Thus, brewers and distributors should prepare for requests for accurate calorie and nutrition information about their products.”
“Effective May 5, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require disclosure of calories and other nutrition information for standard menu items on menus and menu boards. All chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations nationwide must make these disclosures, but most grocery and convenience stores, bowling alleys, movie theaters, sports venues and vending machines, will be subject to the rules as well.
There is guidance (attached) to help businesses listed above comply with the menu labeling rules, including how to list calories for alcohol beverages, including beer. In general, the FDA expects a separate accurate calorie disclosure for every alcoholic beverage, including every beer on a menu. The calories must be specific to the beer or style and to the serving size(s) offered. Restaurants will also need to make additional nutrition information available upon request, including calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars and protein.
The rules say that restaurants and other retail establishments may use a variety of sources, including USDA databases, laboratory analysis and recipes to calculate calories and determine nutrient disclosures, so long as there is a “reasonable basis” for the calories and nutrients selected and disclosed. You can expect most chain restaurants and similar food establishments to look to individual brewers and beer distributors for accurate brand-specific calorie and nutrient information.
The USDA database is currently limited in terms of information regarding beer, so it may not be a “reasonable” source. Again, expect most chain restaurants and other retail establishments to ask product producers for accurate calorie and nutrient information. A restaurant or other similar food establishment may reasonably rely on an on-product serving facts disclosure under TTB 2013-2 for a beer calorie disclosure.
Many food establishments are already taking steps to prepare for the May 2017 implementation date by analyzing or verifying nutrition information for their various offerings. Thus, brewers and distributors should prepare for requests for accurate calorie and nutrition information about their products.”