Childrens Menu Initiative Promotes Healthful Eating

WASHINGTONThe National Restaurant Association (NRA), in collaboration with Healthy Dining, tomorrow will unveil a new initiative designed to provide parents and children with healthful menu options when dining out.

The first-of-its kind initiative will highlight how restaurants are helping parents by making the healthful choice the easy choice. Several inaugural program leaders will be on hand to provide samples of their qualifying new kids items, which will be found at thousands of restaurant locations nationwide.

In other news, NRA on July 5 filed comments suggesting changes in determining the final U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) draft menu labeling regulations.

Given the complexity of the restaurant industry and the many different types of concepts ranging from quick service to fine dining, we appreciate the FDAs efforts to draft these regulations," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. In our comments, we have outlined some of the ways we believe the regulations can be improved and strengthened, to better allow restaurants and foodservice outlets to most effectively display nutrition information to consumers."

The association was more flexibility with nutrition disclosure. The diversity and complexity of the restaurant industry make providing nutrition information to consumers far more complicated than it may seem on the surface. Greater flexibility is needed in order for operators to present information in a format and manner that works for their operation and customer.

NRA also said FDA should treat similar retail food establishments" with restaurant-like operations the same under the law. It is critically important to our membership that the final rule implementing nutrition disclosure reflects the intent of Congress and the shared goal of the association, as well as the approximately 70 public and private organizations and consumer advocate groups that supported the passage of the nutrition disclosure law," Sweeney said.

The association also called for FDA to follow congressional intent, captured by statute, that restaurant operators use the reasonable basis" standard. The reasonable basis standard has been recognized by the FDA for 20 years in determining nutrition calculations required by the law, rather than a standard used for packaged foods produced in a food processing facility.

NRA also asked for a 1-year implementation timeframe for the new regulations versus FDAs proposed 6-month timeline. The association said the extended timeframe will help will help restaurants more effectively absorb the additional burden of the challenges and costs associated with creating new menus and menu boards.

Click here to view the complete comments.