resources: Menu Labeling
Consumers need nutrition information to make informed choices. American’s are eating more of their meals and snacks in restaurants, spending almost half of their food dollars on away from home foods.1 Only one-third of restaurants currently provide any nutritional information, and often in ways not readily useful to customers when they order food. Although most restaurants provide a range of food choices, without nutrition information at the point of purchase it is difficult for consumers to compare options and make informed decisions. More often than not people can only guess the nutritional quality of the food, with many menu items that are heavy in fat, salt, and sugar being offered in ways that are often misleading to the consumer. Basic nutritional information is extremely important to consumers who are dealing with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, or trying to reduce obesity.
84% of Californians support requiring fast food and chain restaurants to post nutritional information on menus and menu boards. 2 On April 18, 2007 CCPHA released findings of a Field Research Corporation poll on Californians’ knowledge of caloric, fat, and salt content in restaurant foods and their attitudes about requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to post nutrition information. The poll found support for mandatory menu labeling was strong across Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Californians deserve and want access to nutritional information at the point of sale.
Forums promoting California’s opportunity to require menu labeling. SB 120 (Padilla/Migden) , legislation that would require chain restaurants to include nutritional information on menus and menu boards, is currently being considered by the California Legislature. Dr. Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Washington D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (CPSI) and the nation’s leading public health expert on menu labeling, presented information at five forums across California, July 30-August 2, 2007, regarding the importance of menu labeling in restaurants and the need for SB 120. The menu labeling forums, Want to Know the Nutrition Facts? were sponsored by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the American Heart Association-Western States Affiliate, the American Cancer Society, the California Optometric Association, the Southern California Public Health Association, California Public Health Association-North and several other public health organizations. View a complete list of event sponsoring organizations. Additional information on menu-labeling can be found on CSPI’s website at www.menulabeling.org.
CCPHA Resources. Materials developed for the menu-labeling forums and available from CCPHA include a partial list of SB 120 supporters; a support letter to Assembly Member Mark Leno, Chair of Assembly Appropriations committee; an SB 120 fact sheet; the Fast Food Nutrition Quiz from the April 2007 Field Poll on menu labeling; and pictures of sample menus and menu boards containing nutritional information. All materials are current as of 8.3.07. Up-to-date information and materials on SB 120 can be found in the CCPHA legislation section .
Next steps. California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to pass menu-labeling requirements, making nutrition information available on all menus and menu boards at chain restaurants. CCPHA calls on all Californians, local leaders and policymakers to work together to enact SB 120 and create policy that would help reduce obesity and ensure that consumers have the ability to make informed food choices. Find out how you can become a part of this effort by joining the CCPHA advocacy network.
Footnotes.
1 National Restaurant Association (NRA). “Industry at a Glance.” Accessed at http://www.restaurant.org/research/ind_glance.cfm on April 12 2002.
2 Field Research Poll of 523 registered voters conducted March 20-31, 2007.
Page updated: 8/10/07
