Our second stop is in our backyard – we’ll be exhibiting at WestEx on April 25th at the Denver Merchandise Mart. There’s no place like home, especially when it’s Colorado.

We’ll be making a return trip to Chicago for the National Restaurant Show (NRA), May 5-8, 2012. This trip is mostly an excuse for Rebekah to go back to Greek Islands for dinner and the much anticipated baklava. And trust me, Julie loves to eat as much as Rebekah, so if you have any favorite Chicago restaurants, we want to hear. Oh, and if you’re going to NRA, stop by our booth (number 3781). We plan to be there in-between restaurant hopping, and—if we get really crazy—bar hopping.

This year we’ll review menu labeling legislation and provide pizza operators with tips to make their pizzas healthier.

To find out more about our presentation, check out our online article, Pizza Expo Exclusive: Don’t Fear New Nutrition-Labeling Laws

FALCPA defines eight major foods or food groups that account for 90 percent of all food allergies. Allergen identification is required if a food product contains an ingredient or protein derived from any of the following eight allergens. 

milk

egg

wheat

peanuts

soybeans

tree nuts

fish

Crustacean shellfish

Three of the eight allergens are food groups (tree nuts, fish and Crustacean shellfish) and require further specification. Tree nuts must be declared by the type of nut, such as almonds, walnuts or pecans. Fish and Crustacean shellfish must declare the species. For example, fish might be declared as salmon, halibut or cod and Crustacean shellfish might be declared as shrimp, lobster or crab.

When declaring an allergen it is acceptable to list the allergen in either singular or plural form (i.e. “walnut” and “walnuts” are both correct). Soybeans can be identified as “soybean,” “soy” or “soya.”

The eight major food allergens can be identified in either the ingredient statement or in a “Contains” statement. Either statement must clearly identify all allergens present in the food product. Allergens must be identified on allergen-containing ingredients where the food source is not apparent. For example, on ingredients like “modified food starch” (if it comes from a wheat source) or “whey” the allergens to be declared are “wheat” and “milk.” 

Below are two examples of how to properly identify allergens.

Ingredients: Peanut butter (peanuts, salt), oats, sugar, soybean oil, whey (milk).

Ingredients: Peanut butter (peanuts, salt), oats, sugar, soybean oil, whey.
Contains: Peanuts, soybeans and milk.

For more information on allergen identification please contact On The Menu.

All ingredients used to fabricate a food must be listed in the ingredient statement by its common or usual name, unless it is covered by an exemption. If your product is a single ingredient food, such as sugar, you are not required to have an ingredient statement. Additionally, if there are incidental additives that are not functional in the finished food, such as a processing aid, you are not required to list those. Ingredients present in amounts of two percent or less may be listed at the end of the ingredient statement followed by a qualifying statement “contains two percent or less of…”

Ingredients must be listed in descending order of predominance by weight. Don’t be fooled by household measurements—a cup of sugar (200g) weighs more than a cup of flour (120g). If preparation of your food requires the same ingredient added more than once, it’s possible to list it just once in your statement providing you know the combined weight of the ingredient.

If you have a multi-component ingredient, such as chocolate, you can do a parenthetical listing of all ingredients within the ingredient. Chocolate would be listed in your ingredient statement where it falls by weight and then the ingredients used in the chocolate would be listed in parentheses. It might look like this: “…chocolate (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin).” You can also incorporate each ingredient of the multi-component ingredients into the overall ingredient statement, providing you know the individual weights.

Special rules apply for listing spices, flavorings and colorings. In many cases they can be listed as “spices,” “flavorings” and “colorings,” but it’s best to refer to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21 for detailed regulations on your particular ingredient in question. In fact, when in doubt on how to list your ingredients it is best to refer to the CFR or have On The Menu assist.

1. Statement of Identity
2. Net Quantity of Contents
3. Nutrition Labeling
4. Ingredient Statement
5. Allergen Declaration
6. Name and Place of Business of Manufacturer, Packer or Distributor

The statement of identity is the common or usual name for your food product as defined by law or regulation. You can determine your proper statement of identity for your product in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, parts 102 and 130-169. If your food is unique and has not been identified, you can give it a name that accurately and appropriately describes it.

The net quantity of contents is the weight or fluid measurement of food as it’s sold in its retail package. The net quantity must be shown both in U.S. customary system (pounds, ounces, fluid ounces) and metric terms (grams, kilograms, milliliters, liters). If your product exceeds one pound, you must state the weight in both pounds and ounces. For example, if your product weighs 20 ounces, you must state it as 1 lb 4 oz. The metric term is placed in parentheses following the U.S. customary term. In addition, you must say “net wt” or “net” (for fluid measurements) prior to the measurement. Here are some examples:

Net Wt 1 lb 4 oz

Net 8 fl oz (237 mL)

Nutrition labeling is displayed in a Nutrition Facts panel. A Nutrition Facts panel has three components: serving size, nutrient values and a footnote. Depending on the nutritional makeup of your food and its packaging, there are several options available. The most common FDA approved label is a standard Nutrition Facts panel, which is a vertical panel containing all three components. Other formats include tabular, linear, dual declaration, aggregate, simplified and shortened. Some food manufacturers are exempt from nutrition labeling under the small business exemption amendment.

An ingredient statement is a listing of all ingredients used to fabricate a food. The ingredient must be listed as a common or usual name. Ingredients are required to be listed in descending order of predominance by weight (from greatest to smallest). Multi-component ingredients must list sub-ingredients in parenthesis. For example the ingredient flour may be listed in the ingredient statement as “Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid).”  Special rules apply to spices, flavorings and colorings.

An allergen declaration came into effect in January 2006. It requires food manufacturers to declare if their product contains one of the eight major allergens. The eight major food allergens include:

Wheat

Milk

Soy

Eggs

Peanuts

Tree nuts

Fish

Crustacean fish

Allergens can be listed in the ingredient statement or in a separate declaration statement. Tree nuts, fish and Crustacean fish must be listed by type. For example, you should list allergen as containing “pecans,” “tuna,” “shrimp,” not “tree nuts,” “fish,” or “Crustacean fish.”

And finally, the last of the big requirements is the name and place of business of manufacturer, packer or distributor. You must include:

Name of manufacturer, packer or distributor

Street address (if not listed in current phone directory)*

City

State

Zip Code

*A post office box cannot be used. The addition of a phone number or website address is optional.

For more information or assistance with your food labels, please call the experts at On The Menu, LLC.

Using the ingredient database, we analyze your recipes to quantify the nutrients in your food products. We can identify the number of calories, and how many of those calories are derived from fats, proteins and carbohydrates.  You’ll also learn the sugar, fiber, cholesterol and sodium content – we list them all in an Excel spreadsheet or in a Nutrition Facts label – or both, whatever your needs or preferences are. You get the full story on your foods, and a base of information for creating new recipes in the future.

What are some other Genesis benefits?  It’s efficient, flexible, and costs one-tenth of what a laboratory would charge to do nutrient analysis.  We can break down a food product by ingredient or component, so that you know exactly where the nutrients are coming from. This saves you time and money if you modify a recipe or create something new.  Best of all, On The Menu maintains an archive of your recipes forever, so you’ve got a permanent record. 

We’ve got nearly a decade of experience using Genesis, and we’ve assembled an impressive array of information that we can cross-reference, update, and supplement.  It’s the smartest database we know, and we love to introduce our clients to it!

We completed Bombay Bowl’s nutrition analysis and allergen information in 2009. Since then President & CEO, Amar Singh, has received much attention and opened a second Denver-area location.

Congratulations to Amar and Bombay Bowl for their continued success!

We were in a great “neighborhood” at the show and learned a lot from our fellow exhibitors. Right across from us, we were lucky to have some seasoned trade show exhibitors from Katz Americas. They sell coasters to restaurants worldwide, and their marketing director gave us some great ideas for marketing OTM at our next show. Also close by was the booth for PCM Technologies, who provide music and videos for restaurants. They had monitors set up showing music videos, so we checked out the latest videos to get up-to-speed. They always had a crowd at their booth – one of their booth staffers was a magician (www.chicagomagicman.com) with some tricks we’re still trying to figure out.

From a treat perspective, Julie found the best ice cream and soft-serve frozen yogurt at the show just a few booths away, at the Straus Family Creamery. Julie’s been hooked on their whole milk yogurt for awhile, which she buys at home in Colorado. Now she’s got another delicious reason to keep her calcium intake at optimum levels. We walked off the extra calories – Julie’s GPS tracked our walking over the four-day event and our total was about 30 miles.

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. This health care reform legislation includes a provision, Section 4205, requiring mandatory nutrition labeling for food sold at chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments with over 20 locations.

This uniform national nutrition standard is endorsed by the NRA to prevent a patchwork of state and local regulations. States and localities would not be able to require additional nutrient information on menus.

In August 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presented a Draft Guidance for Industry which provided questions and answers regarding implementation of the menu labeling provisions of section 4205. Due, in part, to the extensive comments they received on their draft guidance, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged that the restaurant industry might require more guidance and time to comply with the provisions that went into effect when the bill was signed last March. They have withdrawn the draft and have told state and local authorities not to enforce the regulations until the final rule is published later on this year.

In April 2011 the FDA announced its proposed rules implementing the menu labeling provisions of last year’s health care reform law. They are currently accepting comments which they plan to review and then issue a final rule later this year. Rules are not expected to be reinforced until sometime in 2012.

What we have learned with the April draft is—as expected—restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more establishments will be required to post calorie information on their menus and make additional nutrition data available to customers requesting this information. Examples of these establishments include bakeries, grocery store, convenience stores, coffee shops, ice cream parlors and cafeterias. However, movie theaters, airplanes and bowling alleys are exempt because according to the FDA their primary business is not to sell food.
Of interest, alcoholic beverages will be exempt from nutrition labeling.

On The Menu is keeping close tabs on section 4205 and will provide updated information as it is available on this page and on our blog. This document provides a summary of the legislation. Please contact us with any questions. We are dedicated to keeping you informed.

This uniform national nutrition standard is endorsed by the NRA to prevent a patchwork of state and local regulations. States and localities would not be able to require additional nutrient information on menus.

In August 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presented a Draft Guidance for Industry which provided questions and answers regarding implementation of the menu labeling provisions of section 4205. Due, in part, to the extensive comments they received on their draft guidance, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged that the restaurant industry might require more guidance and time to comply with the provisions that went into effect when the bill was signed last March. They have withdrawn the draft and have told state and local authorities not to enforce the regulations until the final rule is published later on this year.

At this time, the FDA plans to complete the full rule-making process before it takes any enforcement action. Their deadline for a proposed rule is March 23, 2011. The FDA will then review comments on the proposed rule and issue a final rule later this year.

On The Menu is keeping close tabs on section 4205 and will provide updated information as it is available on this page and on our blog. This document provides a summary of the legislation. Please contact us with any questions. We are dedicated to keeping you informed.