Menu labeling and trans fat in King County
On March 12, 2008 the King County Board of Health adopted changes to the nutrition menu labeling and artificial trans fat regulations originally adopted on July 19, 2007. King County and the Washington Restaurant Association worked together closely to agree upon changes that will provide King County residents will valuable nutrition information in many King County chain food establishments.
The new menu labeling regulation now requires chain food establishments with 15 or more national locations to display calorie, carbohydrate, saturated fat, and sodium information on menus.
For food establishments with a menu board (overhead menu), calories must be provided in one of the following ways: on the menu board next to each standard menu item, on an easy-to-read sign posted next to the menu board or on a sign located at eye level while in line. Calories must be displayed in a typeface similar to other information about each menu item and no smaller than nine-point font. Since menu boards provide calorie information only, information for the other three nutrients must be available in a clear and visible format at the point of ordering. Only standard menu items on the menu for more than 90 days must have this nutrition information.
August 1, 2008: Chain food establishments will have until August 1, 2008 to conduct the nutritional analysis and put the information on menus and menu boards. King County is the first jurisdiction in the United States to require menu labeling at chain food establishments with 15 or more national locations.
January 1, 2009: Chain food establishments who haven’t posted nutrition information as required by law will begin receiving violations from Public Health Inspectors.
May 1, 2008: The first phase to eliminate artificial trans fat in
King
County
applies to fry oils and shortenings, used for deep frying or in spreads, starting May 1, 2008. Food establishments with operating permits from Public Health -
Seattle & King
County
will be impacted.
Feburary 1, 2009: Food establishments must eliminate artificial trans fat from other products served, except if served in the original package such as potato chips, by February 1, 2009. Food establishments need to identify healthy alternatives for margarines, oils and shortening used for preparation of all other foods, including baked products, deep frying of yeast dough and cake batter. The regulation requires that artificial trans fat must be less than 0.5 grams per serving.
Many food establishments have made the switch to healthier trans fat free alternatives, but the new rules will ensure that the remaining food establishments will make the change as well.
The King County Board of Health and Public Health -
Seattle & King
County
will continue to work with food establishments and the food industry in meeting the menu labeling and trans fat requirements. An education campaign will be launched in 2008 to help the public better understand and utilize the nutrition information in order to make informed choices.
Stakeholder Committees for trans fat and menu labeling:
The regulations have been passed, and now Public Health - Seattle & King County must develop more specific guidelines.
Public Health has worked with representatives from the food industry and food establishments to inform, review, provide comment and offer suggestions to the guidelines.
Two committees were established, one for trans fat and one for menu labeling. The stakeholder committees met regularly from October 2007 through January 2008.
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