New Menu Labeling Law May Help Seafood Sales
A new U.S. menu labeling law goes into effect starting March 31, 2012. One impact may be an increase in fish seafood sales at retail and food service. Restaurants that employ 20 or more people will be required to list the total calorie content for items on the menu. The requirement is noted below.
This will have an impact on customer choices. Many customers won;t care and will still order what they want. Many other customers will think twice and may change their order to a lower calorie meal or item. The biggest beneficiary will be in produce sales. Leafy green salads and most vegetables are by far the lowest calorie items on most menus. Come customers may choose a healthy side salad or veggie to make up for the high calorie entree, or may make the salad the meal.
Fish and seafood can be lower in calories than other proteins, especially given the gravies, and sauces often paired with beef, pork and chicken. That should help seafood demand in sales in food service.
The biggest impact may be that having calories on restaurant menus will raise the awareness of calorie content for consumers overall. More customers will be looking at and asking about calorie content for seafood at restaurants and at the retail counter. Currently, retail seafood markets have to display nutritional information for the top 20 seafood items. That won’t be good enough. Many consumers will want to know the calorie counts of all products on display. How calorie content is displayed may change too. Just having a sign somewhere in the department with calorie and nutritional info may not be satisfactory for many customers. I am not saying calorie counts should be on every package and every display sign, but that might be the most effective method.
Seafood has a good story to tell about calories and nutrition. Most fish deliver more protein per calorie than beef and pork and about te same as skinless chicken. Customers that compare protein will see that. Most fish have many other nutritional positives such as high Omega-3 DHA and EPA content, high selenium content, low sodium, etc. Playing up one or two beneficial nutritional attributes in addition to calories on menus and on retail signs may help boost seafood sales.
Promoting the nutritional benefits of seafood has always been good marketing, soon it might be a must.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OF 2010,SECTION 4025; The federal menu labeling requirement
The Affordable Care Act passed in March 2010, contained section 4205: the federal menu labeling requirement. Section 4205 requires all restaurants with 20 or more locations provide their customers with menu nutrition information and on menu labeling.
Restaurant owners or managers with 20 or more locations will be required to comply with 4 requirements mandated in the federal menu labeling legislation. These 4 components are:
1. Calculate calories and nutrition information for all menu options. This comprehensive nutrition information must be available to patrons when requested. Many restaurants choose to provide this information in a binder or menu topper flip chart
2. Post calorie counts for each menu selection on the menu, menu boards, and drive thrus. Calorie counts for each menu item must be clearly displayed for each item
3. Provide a statement on menu boards and menus about the availability of full nutrition information upon request
4. Provide calorie information (per serving or per food item) for self-service items and food on display, on a sign adjacent to each food item.