In addition to the sweeping changes to health insurance costs and coverage ushered
in by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law mandated
a substantial increase in the national availability of nutrition information. Section
4205 of the bill established a requirement for restaurants and fast-food chains with
more than 20 locations to list the calorie counts of standard items on menus and menu
boards, and to provide more comprehensive nutrition information upon request. This
federal mandate superseded various previously enacted state and local regulations
and brought uniformity to displays of nutrition information for restaurants and similar
establishments. The nationwide requirement represents a significant accomplishment
for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ advocacy efforts on behalf of registered
dietetian nutritionists (RDNs) in the United States, as they “worked with congressional
staff members and other key stakeholders [to help] craft … the portion of the bill
that ultimately became Section 4205 … in language that [the Academy] supports.”
1
Additional information regarding the passage of the ACA, the Academy’s role in that
process, and reactions to the legislation can be found in the May 2011 supplement
to the Journal.
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References
- A national approach to restaurant menu labeling: The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, Section 4205.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2011; 111: S19-S27
- National Restaurant menu labeling legislation: Public nutrition education and professional opportunities.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2011; 111: S7
Rethink your drink. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/drinks.html. Accessed January 15, 2015.
Questions and answers on the menu and vending machines nutrition labeling requirements. US Food and Drug Administration. www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm248731.htm. Accessed January 15, 2015.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 21, 2015
Footnotes
This article was written by Matthew Fox, a freelance writer in Chicago, IL.
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
FUNDING/SUPPORT The author has no funding to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
