SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) -It’s not hard to find the calorie count on menu items at Wendy’s. All of the nutritional information is on a large chart next to the cash register, but in the future, the calorie count on your favorite fast food will be right next to the item on the menu.
The Food and Drug Administration is working to create binding regulations for a new law that took effect in March. That law requires all food chains with twenty or more restaurants to display the calorie count under your nose on the giant board, or inside the menu. It is designed to provide consumers with more information so they can make healthier choices. Lenona Lemmon was eating at Wendy’s today. She says she likes the idea. “It really makes you think about what you are eating when you look at that picture of the burger, and then you realize how many calories it’s going to put into your body.”
Utah Department of Health officials like the new law as well. Patrice Isabella says “Consumers do choose differently when they do know how many calories are in their food. Focus groups that we did in Utah showed that parents would choose differently if they knew how many calories were in their food.”
But those who represent the restaurants say the nutritional information has been available for years. Many, like Wendy’s post it in the restaurant, others make it available online.
Melva Sine, Utah Restaurant Association CEO says the new requirements could be expensive to implement. “We have to make sure that the information is accurate, that all of the testing and everything that goes into making sure that the number of calories is accurate. That takes time.”
There are also some gray areas in the bill that she says the FDA will need to clarify. It’s undetermined if it is a corporate responsibility to implement the menu changes or if that responsibility belongs to the franchise member. “Most franchise agreements don’t cover this issue so there is still some investigation that has to be done.”
Some consumers view the law as overkill. Jim Stockman was finishing off his hamburger at Wendy’s when he said “The calorie sign is good enough. I don’t feel they should have it on the menu board. That’s and added expense that they probably don’t need to do. If you care, and are worried about your calories you can look for it. You don’t have to have it plastered right in your face.”
Fast food chains have until this time next year to make sure calories and nutritional information are impossible to miss or they will face fines.
