Hi all,

We are pleased to announce that implementation of menu labeling is finally going forward nationally; coming to chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, movie theaters, and other similar chain retail food establishments near you by May, 2017.

It will have been seven years since CSPI and other NANA members worked with Congress to pass the national menu labeling law, as part of the Affordable Care Act. The latest delay is largely due to Domino’s Pizza, convenience stores, and supermarkets that worked with Congress to insert a rider in the FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act to delay implementation of the law until one year from the release of FDA’s final guidance.

Today, the FDA released the final guidance which will set a date certain for implementation in early May, 2017 (the date one year from publication of the guidance in the federal register, which will be during the first week of May).

Thank you to the many who have worked on and supported menu labeling efforts. The first set of state and local policies on menu labeling were introduced in 2003, with over 20 passing, laying the groundwork for the national menu labeling law in 2010. Most recently, several NANA members helped oppose the anti-menu labeling bills in the House and the Senate, and galvanized Members of Congress to send letters requesting FDA finalize the guidance, and organizing over 10,000 individuals to contact HHS and FDA.

As we move toward implementation of national menu labeling, we will share more details on a national awareness campaign spearheaded by ChildObesity180, CSPI and the FDA to help customers understand and use the calorie and other nutrition information.

Please help us share the good news on social media. We have attached some images if you would like to share.

Twitter

· VICTORY! Starting May 2017, Americans will know the calories when eating out. TY @HHSGov @US_FDA 4 #menulabeling

· Good news! Americans will soon be able to make informed choices when eating out. #menulabeling starting May 2017

· Coming May 2017 Americans will have calories on prepared foods in supermarkets just like for packaged foods. #menulabeling

Additional tweets

· Calorie labeling finally coming May 2017 to a chain restaurant, supermarket, convenience store, even movie theater near you #menulabeling

· Coming May 2017 calories on menus: could prevent 41k cases of childhood obesity, save $4.6b over 10yrs bit.ly/1KV56Be #menulabeling

· TY for putting calorie info on your menus before May 2017, @Starbucks @panerabread @McDonalds @AuBonPain @BaskinRobbins

Facebook

· Good news! Starting May 2017 chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and even movie theaters will post calories, allowing you to decide how many calories you want when eating out.

· Which is lower calorie: the fresh southwest turkey sandwich or red hot beef burrito @7Eleven? Once calorie labeling is implemented in May 2017, you won't have to guess in chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and even movie theaters.

Thanks,

Colin Schwartz

Senior Nutrition Policy Associate

Center for Science in the Public Interest

1220 L Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-777-8387