Oral

As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, restaurant chains will soon be required to implement menu labeling nationwide. The purpose of this session is to understand the potential impact of this policy on menu labeling nationwide, consumer behavior and restaurant behavior. Specifically, speakers will discuss the menu labeling environment prior to implementation of this policy, which menu labeling techniques may be most effective in helping and motivating consumers to chose healthier options, and whether menu labeling initiatives can have spillover impacts into supply of healthier products in restaurants. Presentations include data from a national environmental scan of menu labeling practices which establish baseline prevalence of menu labeling prior to the implementation of menu labeling policies; a survey experiment on the effectiveness of various menu labeling schemes, two evaluations of local menu labeling programs, and a pre/post evaluation of California menu labeling policies on product reformulation and menu offerings.

Session Objectives: 1. Define the current regulations pertaining to restaurant menu labeling. 2. Discuss the restaurant industry's supply chain response to the menu labeling policies. 3. Describe effectiveness of existing local menu labeling efforts with chains and local restaurants.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)