Calorie-Labeling Rule Begins in Massachusetts by November 2010
Massachusetts has adopted tough rules requiring chain restaurants with at least 20 outlets in the state to prominently display calorie information on big boards dangling from ceilings, on printed menus and at drive-through windows. The rule, unanimously adopted by the Massachusetts Public Health Council, will take effect November 1, 2010, and reportedly affects about 50 chain restaurants with nearly 5,300 locations in the state.
“This is a major step in the right direction in fighting the obesity epidemic in our state,” Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach was quoted as saying. “We know that providing this information will help our residents make more informed choices.”
More than a dozen states are apparently considering similar rules. California passed a similar law in fall 2008, but its regulations do not extend to drive-through restaurants. New York City began enforcing a calorie-posting rule in July 2008 for restaurants with more than 15 outlets nationwide. See Product Liability Law 360, May 13, 2009, and The Boston Globe, May 14, 2009.
