Need Help with Restaurant Menu Nutrition Labeling? Ask rtech!
 
Often, people do not realize that restaurant food can contain extremely high amounts of calories, fat, and sodium. Since people eat out often, the consensus is growing that consumers need to be made aware. Recently some twenty states and cities have either instated or proposed restaurant menu labeling regulations. Examples of various proposed or finalized rulings have restaurant chains with more than 15 or 20 locations being required to post the amount of calories prominently, while having other nutrients such as saturated fat, trans fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and sodium information available for viewing at the point of ordering.

As with full nutritional labeling of food products, rtech Laboratories can assist with restaurant menu labeling requirements. In order to provide the amount of calories in a food, analysis of protein, fat, moisture, and ash is required. From these results, total carbohydrates and calories are calculated. A variety of other nutrient analyses are also available.

Be prepared for upcoming changes to your menu. Restaurants and food service providers are advised to send in samples of the entire completed, as-eaten menu item to rtech, where it will be prepared for analysis of the necessary nutrients. We will work with you to determine what testing is required in your location. Check our price list and call us with questions at 1-800-328-9687.

For information on specific regulations, see the websites below.

http://www.cspinet.org/menulabeling/
 
http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/ml_bill_summaries_09.pdf