HEALTH
August 15, 2011 | By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times
Just how many calories in that eggplant parmigiana? In 2012, when restaurant labeling becomes the law of the land as part of healthcare reform legislation, diners will be in for some surprises. The law requires restaurants and retail food businesses with 20 or more locations to list calorie content for standard items on menus and menu boards. Drive-throughs are included, but movie theaters are exempt. Beyond calories, more detailed nutritional information - such as sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol content - must be available on request.
NEWS
July 27, 2011 | By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog
Calorie labeling in fast food restaurants is part of the landscape, but is it making a difference in what customers buy? A study finds that it can, if people pay attention to the information. Researchers compared purchases and calories among fast food diners in New York City in 2007, a year before calorie labeling legislation started and in 2009, nine months after it became law. In 2007, 7,309 customers were surveyed, and in 2009, 8,489 people took part. Researchers conducted the study among 168 randomly selected restaurants among the top 11 fast food chains in the city.
NEWS
January 10, 2011 | By Mary Forgione, Tribune Health
If you haven’t noticed yet, some restaurant menus carry more numbers these days -- and they're not necessarily higher prices. By March, restaurant chains with more than 20 locations are required to post the number of calories in items on their menus. Disclosing calories in foods that restaurants serve was part of the healthcare reform act signed into law last year. Here's a good explanation of the act and the law's provisions from the National Restaurant Assn. However, don't expect to see nutritional breakdowns like you see in grocery stores.
NEWS
October 12, 2010
Laws requiring fast-food restaurant chains to include nutritional information, especially calories, on menus or menu boards have garnered a lot of support. California was one of the first states to adopt the policy. And, under the healthcare reform bill, the provision will be required nationally. But do these regulations really change what people purchase? A few studies on the affect of the law so far have been mixed. In what is probably the most disappointing data so far, researchers attending the Obesity Society annual meeting in San Diego said Tuesday that their study found menu labeling had little effect on normal-weight children but did lead to modest, reduced calorie consumption in overweight or obese children.
HEALTH
February 22, 2010 | Jeannine Stein
Americans are eating out more and more: According to the National Restaurant Assn., 49% of every food dollar in the U.S. is now spent in restaurants, up from 25% in 1955. What that means is we have less and less control over just what goes into our food — and the numbers, now available per California law, are sometimes shocking. Even healthful-seeming selections can pack a calorie-, fat-, salt- or sugar-laden punch. Salads, long touted as a virtuous choice, are a prime example.
BUSINESS
October 11, 2009 | Times Staff and Wire Reports
When dining out, 65% of Americans say they prefer to see nutritional information on a restaurant menu rather than calories alone, according to a recent survey. Nearly 40% said they'd like to see a Nutrition Facts panel, while 27% preferred an at-a-glance program with credits or a ratings system, according to the random telephone survey conducted by Kelton Research. "Our research shows that Americans are looking for more than just calorie counts," said John Eldredge, director of brand and business development at Guiding Stars Licensing Co., which makes nutrition navigation systems and commissioned the poll.