WeAreChefs
Are national standards for menu labeling a good idea?
A new bill, called the Labeling Education and Nutrition, or LEAN, Act of 2008, was unveiled at the National Restaurant Association's 2008 Public Affair Conference, Sept 23. The bill was created to replace inconsistent state and local nutrition ordinances with a national standard. If the bill is passed by the Senate, national standards would establish uniform regulations that require all restaurant and grocery chains with 20 or more outlets to display nutrition data for menu items to customers before they reach the point of purchase.
Do you think it is a good idea to have standardized national requirements? Or should states and local governments have the power to implement regulations? Tell us what you think.
Do you think it is a good idea to have standardized national requirements? Or should states and local governments have the power to implement regulations? Tell us what you think.
Views: 20
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Guy D. Sockrider, C.E.C. on -
I believe that it is a good idea for the people that are concerned for their overall health. I like to know what I am eating as well as what I am serving, there is way to much "prepared food" in the market that many use, and the consumers have a right to see what is in their food.
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Permalink Reply by Vivian on -
I believe this is a good thing. As businesses grow, people should be getting the same quality of food that was produced in the original starting business. By having the nutrition standards there would be no alterations from nutritional values. I would like to healthy and would like to see the information on the foods that I eat.
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Permalink Reply by Thomas J. Macrina CEC, CCA, AAC on -
Yes it is. Also there should be some standard for the food network when making classical items that they are made the proper way.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Webster, CEC, CCE, AAC on -
I think that the states should control the standards based on the needs/wants of their citizens.
Like many people I like to know what additives are in the food I purchase, but even if everyone displays the nutritional info on their products. It's the consumer who really needs to control and modify their eating habits.
Washing down a bag of cookies with a diet soda doesn't cancel out the sugar, fat and cholesteral from the cookies.
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Permalink Reply by Frances Burnett CMB, CEPC, CHE on -
It is an excellent idea!
I also think they should write the labeling info. in laymans terms for persons with dissabilities, auto-immune deficiencies and allergies.
I have just been diagnosed with a rare disease that stems from food allergies, being in the food industry-I wasn't worried about being able to read labels to adhere to my diet-I am now. Over the years, I have noticed that nothing in the ingredients listings are standardized. It's nice when they put the allergy free labeling for wheat soy nuts dairy(mostly for celiacs)-but many times I have had to look up the ingredient in my science books to prove to the provider that the product had wheat in it (even though the label says it does not) their answer was that the protein was not in it, but thats not what their advisory label says!
I don't buy too much prepared foods because of this.
With the allergies increasing overall and all the new auto-immune diseases being diagnosed, we,as chefs, need to be prepared, and make the gov't do the job (someone) is getting paid to do!
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Kangiser on -
Although in theory it sounds great, but who is going to inspect these places to find out if their nutritional facts are correct and they arn't deceiving the public. Will this create another whole branch of the FDA, or health department, are we going to have to staff a nutritionist now, and a calorie bean counter. What happens to our specials we run everyday to use up product or leftovers. This is a bucket of worms I don't care to open. A simple list of ingredients should suffice to avoid allergic reactions, which sounds reasonable to me. If it passes all you Classical Cuisine Chef's will be screaming in a month because the butter and fat used in sauces and pastries. Fast food restaurants might as well pack it up and go home.
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