INDIANAPOLIS Indiana lawmakers are scheduled to review a bill next week that would require chain restaurants to provide a wide range of nutritional information to customers.
Although several local governments and one state — California — have enacted laws requiring chains to post calorie information, Indiana House Bill 1207 would mandate that restaurants with 10 or more units in the state list not only each menu item’s total calories, but also total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar and protein.
The information could either be posted on a menu or menu board or in a “separately printed document” available to customers at the point of sale, according to the current bill, which was authored by state representative Charlie Brown, chairman of the state House of Representatives’ public health committee. This is the second year the bill has been introduced.
The bill is similar to alaw enacted in Philadelphia in December and considered one of the strongest in the country by consumer advocacy groups. It requires local units of restaurant chains with at least 15 stores nationwide to post calorie counts, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium and carbohydrate contents on menus and menu boards starting Jan. 1, 2010.
If passed, the Indiana measure would go into effect July 1. Violators would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 per violation per day.
Ahearing on the Indiana bill by the house’s public health committee is scheduled in the house chambers at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26. If it moves out of committee it could be introduced to the house floor by the end of next week. If passed, it would move on to the state senate.
John Livengood, president of the Restaurant and Hospitality Association of Indiana, said he did not support the current version of the bill and instead endorses the federal legislation introduced in Congress last year that would require nationwide menu labeling. The federal Labeling Education and Nutrition, or LEAN, Act, which is also backed by the National Restaurant Association, would pre-empt local and state menu-labeling mandates, and require restaurant chains with 20 or more stores nationwide to post calorie counts and offer additional nutrition data at the point of sale.
“That would be a better way to go than having a thousand legislations across the country,” Livengood said.
Massachusetts and New York also are considering statewide menu labeling laws. California was the first state to pass such a law last September, although it only requires that calorie information be provided.
New York City became the first local government to enact a menu-labeling law. It went into effect last July for restaurants that have 15 or more locations nationwide.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
