The Deadline for Compliance is May 7, 2018
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MENU LABELING
The FDA has released menu labeling regulations that require calorie content and access to additional nutritional information for restaurant-type food served in retail food establishments, including some grocery and convenience stores. The deadline for compliance with the law is May 7, 2018. You can learn more about the regulations, and how OPI can help you comply below.
Choose the option that applies to you, and we will help you formulate an action plan.
I’M NOT SURE
I don’t know if the FDA menu labeling laws apply to me and would like to learn more to see if I need to comply.
NEED TO COMPLY
My establishment must comply and I’d like to learn more about what solutions for compliance OPI can offer.
EXEMPT FROM RULING
The FDA Ruling does not apply, but I would like to find out more about complying voluntarily.
Who Needs to Comply?
Establishments that serve “restaurant-type food”* must have (1) at least 20 locations doing business under the same name, regardless of ownership (franchises). These locations must be offering for sale (2) substantially the same standard menu items**. Establishments must meet both requirements to be covered by the ruling.
* Restaurant-type food is defined as food items prepared primarily on the premises and meant to be consumed at the establishment, while walking away, or shortly after arriving at a second location.
** Standard menu items are defined as food items routinely included in the menu.
What are the Requirements?
For businesses that need to comply, the FDA ruling requires the following for all standard menu items:
CALORIE DISCLOSURE
Calorie content for each item must be included on all menu and/or menu boards, or posted nearby for food on display or in self-serve bars.
CALORIE STATEMENT
A succinct statement that says, “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary” must be included on menus and menu boards.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Additional nutrition information for each item must be available for customers to review and menu and/or menu boards must include a statement that the additional nutrition information is available upon request.
FURTHER READING
For more in depth information about the requirements of the menu labeling law, see the following resources on the FDA website:
Voluntary Compliance
Establishments that serve restaurant-type food but have fewer than 20 locations, have the option of voluntary registration and compliance with the menu labeling regulations. Those that opt to register and comply will no longer be subject to any non-identical state laws concerning menu labeling.
Those who don’t choose to register could still put a solution in place, ensuring future compliance should they be covered by an expansion of this ruling, by a new ruling passed in the future, or if the establishment adds locations and meets the required number.
Menu Labeling and Nutrition Kiosk Whitepaper
For a more in-depth look at the law and how a kiosk solution can make compliance simple, download our White Paper “Kiosks: An Easy and Effective Nutrition Labeling Solution”
OPI Menu Labeling Compliance Solutions
Optical Phusion can make compliance hassle-free with custom solutions tailored to the needs of your establishments.
Kiosk only Solution
The required additional nutrition info can be made available to customers on an electronic device, such as an OPI custom kiosk or price checker.
Label Printer Only Solution
If a majority of the menu items you offer are grab-and-go, a label printing solution may be a convenient and more cost-effective solution.
Kiosk and Label Printer Solution
Stores with a wide variety of prepared food offerings would benefit from both kiosks devices for displaying menus and nutrition information as well as printers to create labels for grab-and-go items or items in self-serve bars.
MENU LABELING COMPLIANCE WITH KIOSK SOLUTIONS
Already an OPI kiosk customer?
If you currently have a kiosk or price checker solution in your stores, your compliance solution may be as simple as an upgrade to your current software, and making sure kiosks that are capable of displaying nutritional information are conveniently located for customers purchasing covered menu items.
Contact Your OPI representative now, or call us at +1.978.393.5900, to find out how we can help you to comply!
Why are Kiosks a better compliance option?
Could menus and menu boards be printed with calorie amounts and the additional nutrition information required be provided as printed handouts? The answer, of course, is yes. However, there are many reasons that kiosks are a better, easier solution.
An OPI Kiosk Solution can:
- …reduce the ongoing expense of printing. A paper solution means printing new menus and/or menu boards whenever changes are made to the standard menu or recipes and handouts with additional information would have to be reordered periodically.
- …simplify compliance for menu offerings with multiple options or toppings. Kiosks can make this simple by calculating a total calorie amount based on customer choices.
- …be a greener solution. Kiosks also offer the possibility of compliance with little or no paper.
- …offer convenience for customers. All the required information is right at your customer’s fingertips with kiosks. They can take their time reviewing and comparing, really consider the nutritional content, and make healthier decisions.
- …boost employee productivity. Organizing, storing and retrieving printed nutrition information for customers could make a paper solution a potential time drain.
The simple, hassle-free compliance that kiosks offer is on top of the usual benefits retailers see from implementing a kiosk system. Learn more about OPI’s kiosk and price checker solutions:
LEARN MORE:
MENU LABELING COMPLIANCE WITH LABEL PRINTERS
Label Printing Solution
Many establishments, such as convenience stores, may offer foods that qualify for compliance, but primarily as grab-and-go items like sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, cheese and cracker trays and more. While a kiosk could provide the necessary information, it may be simpler and more convenient for both the business and the customer to have all the required information on a label applied to each item.
Stores that already have kiosk solutions can add label printers to provide labels for similar take-away items. For those with price checkers in place that have screens too small to display all of the required information, kiosk printers could be integrated to allow customers to print this information to review, or take it with them to review later.
MENU LABELING COMPLIANCE WITH KIOSKS AND PRINTERS
Full, Hassle-free Compliance with OPI
Let OPI take your FDA Menu Labeling compliance from start to finish with a combination solution featuring Kiosks and Printers.
Why OPI?
Why should you choose OPI as your Compliance Solution Provider? Our industry expertise and integration experience make Optical Phusion uniquely qualified to find your perfect, cost-saving solution for hassle-free compliance. We provide a full service approach to help you navigate regulations.
We help you pick the right technology as part of your solution and with our longtime partner, Zebra Technologies, we are able to supply our clients with best-in-class hardware. We fully integrate your solution with any existing systems you have in place. We complete a seamless installation, help train your staff on proper use, and over on-going service and support for the entire life cycle of all our solutions. We are your partner, and your success is our success.
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Contact us today about finding your ideal Menu Labeling Compliance Solution.
