DeLauro Applauds Robust Menu Labeling Final Rule

NEW HAVEN, CT— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today applauding the Obama Administration for issuing a robust final rule on menu labeling. In August she called on Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan to respect congressional intent and issue a strong final rule.

“I applaud the Administration for issuing a strong rule and, while I am still reading the final version, it looks very much in line with congressional intent. Americans eat nearly half their meals and snacks outside of their homes, and research shows that many of these foods have more calories and poorer nutritional quality than those prepared at home. Calorie and nutrition transparency is crucial for empowering consumers to make healthy choices, and is one tool to address our public health crises of obesity and diabetes.

“When we passed the Affordable Care Act, I said ‘Americans will now be able to make more informed choices about the food they are eating’ because the law set requirements for restaurant and retail settings. Today I am glad to see that promise fulfilled. Now we must stand strong against the inevitable industry push back and efforts to overturn this common sense step to make nutrition information more readily available to consumers.”

DeLauro was the chief sponsor of menu labeling legislation for nearly a decade, and authored the provision in the Affordable Care Act that is resulting in chain restaurants across the country coming clean about how many calories are in the food they sell.


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