Nutrition info from restaurants

[Gal Friday]

In the US, are restaurants required to provide nutrition info on all menu items if requested, or just those that make some kind of claim to be healthful in some way? I thought I remembered from 'Super Size Me' that McDonald's was required to have nutrition info on all menu items available to all customers. I assume if that's true of fast food restaurants, it's true of sit-down chains as well?

[Frenchie]

In the US, are restaurants required to provide nutrition info on all menu items if requested, or just those that make some kind of claim to be healthful in some way? I thought I remembered from 'Super Size Me' that McDonald's was required to have nutrition info on all menu items available to all customers. I assume if that's true of fast food restaurants, it's true of sit-down chains as well?

I don't think they're required. I think more places are trending towards doing it b/c people want it. But last time I checked they were not yet required. Of course, I'm known for being wrong! :D

[Gal Friday]

I found this article that seems to say that they are required to give nutrition info on anything they call low fat or heart healthy or anything like that. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdacmenu.html But I swear in Super Size Me there was this whole big to-do about McD's being required to provide nutrition info, and the guy went around to various McD's seeing how many of them actually had the pamphlets available. In some McD's the manager would actually bring out a big laminated poster they had hanging in the back b/c they couldn't find/didn't have the pamphlets.

[Gal Friday]

Found another article. Looks like it really is only for menu items they make healthful claims about. And then they only have to give the info supporting their claim. http://www.cspinet.org/reports/dinersgu.html
Full nutrition information is not required. Restaurants only need to provide information that pertains to the particular claim. For example, a restaurant that makes a "low sodium" claim must tell consumers who ask that the food contains no more than 140 mg of sodium in a typical serving. However, the restaurant is not required to provide information about calories, fat, or other nutrients.
and
Only menu items for which claims are made are affected. Restaurants are only required to rovide nutrition information for foods for which health or nutrition claims are made.

[Frenchie]

I found this article that seems to say that they are required to give nutrition info on anything they call low fat or heart healthy or anything like that. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdacmenu.html But I swear in Super Size Me there was this whole big to-do about McD's being required to provide nutrition info, and the guy went around to various McD's seeing how many of them actually had the pamphlets available. In some McD's the manager would actually bring out a big laminated poster they had hanging in the back b/c they couldn't find/didn't have the pamphlets.

Maybe it was b/c McD's was touting that it would provided nutritional info but it was not yet widely available. Now, I think the thing is, they are putting it on the actual labeling to make it easier to get to.

[tommie frazier]

McD's has it on the back of the tray liners.

I read it all the time while I stuff my big fat face.