Menu-labeling Law Enacted– Implications for Onsite Foodservice

Contact: Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec ( franceenf.blogspot.com/)
617-448-0205

On March 21, 2010, a component of health care legislation on mandatory nutrient labeling passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama. This legislation creates a national, uniform nutrition-posting standard for chain restaurants with 20 or more locations that share common menus. Although targeted to chain restaurants, all foodservice establishments need to consider it’s impact.

The Challenges

1) Increased customer expectations. Although there has been a growing consumer demand for healthier menu choices, this legislation will set a new expectation for nutrient information wherever they dine, including onsite operations.

2) More complex than just calories. It is speculated that information similar to that on packaged foods will need to be provided upon request, including such things as fat, sodium and cholesterol, which, in addition to calories, may be high and disconcerting to display.

3) Consumers are in for a shock! Who wouldn’t be shocked to learn that the sodium content in The Boston Market’s chopped salad is close to 4000 mg and Applebee’s crispy chicken bowl has 4250 mg? A child’s portion of pasta with alfredo sauce at the Cheesecake Factory has 1800 calories and 87 grams of saturated fat, which is equivalent to 3 McDonald’s Big Macs! If and when you analyze your menu items, there can be profiles resembling these numbers, or at least ones that can be concerning to customers.

Recommendations For On Site Foodservice Establishments

1) Get on board!
In order to maximize customer loyalty and sales, even if the labeling law does not pertain to your operation, be aware that many customers will expect it!

Here are some things to keep in mind when implementing this initiative.

• Don’t guess! Use credible sources to analyze your menu items. Inaccuracy in gathering nutritional information may lead to potential consumer litigation regarding deceptive marketing tactics based on faulty nutritional numbers. There are consultants and resources to support you. Examples are registered dietitians who are trained in the food service industry that have the experience and tools to perform nutrient analysis. They are trained in nutrition and there are a lot of intricacies and complexities involved in generating accurate numbers.

• Take a pro-active approach. Making nutrition data available to your customers before labeling laws take effect is advisable. It will increase your image, help frame the discussion about the healthfulness of your menu items and suggest that you have nothing to hide from your customers.

• Implement standardized recipes and train your staff. Since all menu items must meet the nutrition content that you advertise, standardized recipes should be instituted and training enforced to ensure that recipes are followed without alterations. That means in terms of ingredients, cooking methods and measurements.

• Post disclaimers. Even if you enforce the standards mentioned above, there can still be some small differentials between the actual nutrient content of your menu items and the advertised numbers due to such things as customer ordering preferences and seasonal variations in fresh produce. Therefore, it is prudent to indicate on signage that there may be minor variations in actual nutrient content. Some examples are:

“All items are freshly prepared on site and nutritional values may vary slightly.”

For a more in depth version…

“This nutritional information is intended to provide you with general nutrient values. Actual nutritional values can vary due to seasonal variation in food nutrition content, rounding of fractional values and customer ordering preferences.”

You may also want to consider the use of a medical disclaimer such as:

"The nutritional information is provided for general purposes only and is not
intended for medical nutrition therapy. Please consult your doctor for
medical advice on a proper diet for your individual needs.”

2) Offer Healthy Alternatives

The best way to balance your menu is to offer healthier choices alongside your regular fare. To ensure success, there are some important things to consider such as; the importance of keeping the program simple and based on credible information, sourcing recipes that are easy, cost effective and appealing and implementing effective standards to maximize ROI.


For more information, contact Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec., via linked in or email at fran@platedconcepts.com