The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has delayed the federal rule mandating all chain restaurants, supermarkets, and other food sellers to post calorie counts on menus until 2018.
Originally THE RULE was proposed as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and was set to go into effect Friday. The FDA announced Monday that the new deadline for all businesses that sell food and have 20 or more locations is May 7, 2018.
Opponents of menu labeling had petitioned the Trump administration to delay the rule and pushed for passage of a bill called the Common-Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which would dilute and remove some of the regulations. It passed the House but has not gone to a vote in the Senate.
Domino’s Pizza has argued that posting calorie counts on menu boards doesn’t make sense for businesses that have most of their sales through delivery. Domino’s reports about 90 percent of its orders as being placed outside the store.
“We’re very pleased that our voices have been heard, but there is still more work to do,” Tim McIntyre, chairman of the Domino’s Pizza-backed American Pizza Community shares in a statement. Many businesses had already spent the money to print new menu boards to accommodate the fast-approaching compliance date.
The FDA is opening the regulations to a public comment period again, starting Thursday.
