Calorie Labels at Restaurants: Half of Adults Notice, but Some More Than Others
September 12, 2024 | 1 min to read
In May 2018, the FDA required chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to disclose calorie counts on menus, responding to the growing trend of food prepared away from home, which accounted for one-third of U.S. calorie consumption as of 2017-18. By 2022, full-service and limited-service restaurants represented 69.3% of this market. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA's menu-labeling flexibility ended on November 7, 2023, restoring full compliance responsibilities for foodservice establishments.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations to disclose the number of calories in standard menu items in May 2018.
As of 2017–18, one-third of calories consumed by the U.S. population aged 2 and above were from food prepared away from home (FAFH). Full-service and limited-service restaurants are the two largest segments of the commercial foodservice market, accounting for 69.3 percent of all FAFH sales in 2022. FDA’s new labeling requirements were intended to help consumers make more informed food choices when eating out.
Since FDA’s menu-labeling regulations became effective in 2018, a wide variety of U.S. foodservice establishments that sell restaurant-type food have disclosed calorie counts on menus, including convenience stores, grocery stores, superstores, and concession stands located within entertainment venues. During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency, FDA provided temporary flexibility to foodservice establishments if certain menu labeling requirements were not met. That flexibility ended November 7, 2023.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA’s Amber Waves