NGA Praises Introduction of Menu Labeling Legislation

February 2, 2017

Arlington, VA – The National Grocers Association (NGA) today applauded the introduction of the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 (H.R. 772, S. 261), a bipartisan bill that clarifies the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final rule regarding menu labeling at restaurants and similar retail food establishments, which includes grocery stores with 20 or more locations. The bill is sponsored by U.S. Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Tony Cardenas (D-CA) in the House, and Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Senator Angus King (I-ME) in the Senate.

“Independent supermarket operators are committed to providing their customers with transparent information about the products they sell, however grocers continue to face challenges and uncertainty with implementing a regulation that was originally designed for chain restaurants. The Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act provides the needed flexibility in how nutritional information is disclosed to customers based on the different ways that foods are prepared and sold across various supermarket venues and formats. Additionally, the bill protects store associates who make inadvertent mistakes and provides stores with 90 days to take corrective steps prior to any enforcement action,” said NGA President and CEO Peter J. Larkin. “NGA applauds Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Cardenas and Senators Blunt and King for championing this important issue. We look forward to working with them and their colleagues in the House and Senate to advance this common sense legislative fix to an unworkable regulation.”

The FDA finalized menu labeling regulations at the direction of the Affordable Care Act in November of 2014. The regulations require that chain restaurants, similar retail food establishments and vending machines with 20 or more locations list caloric information on their menus and menu boards.  The regulation is set to go into effect on May 5, 2017. NGA has actively engaged with Members of Congress and the FDA throughout the regulatory process to ensure a workable solution for supermarkets.