In response to public comments and requests, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is extending the compliance date to December 1, 2016 for the final rule requiring disclosure of certain nutrition information for standard menu items in certain restaurants and similar retail food establishments. The estimated costs and benefits accrued in any given year that the menu labeling rule is in effect, relative to the first year of compliance, does not change, however, because the compliance date is being extended by one year, the discounted value of both total costs and total benefits decreases. The principal benefit of this final rule will be the reduction in costs associated with extending the compliance date by one year. The principal cost of this final rule will be the reduction in benefits associated with extending the compliance date by one year. Extending the compliance date of the “Food Labeling: Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments” final rule by one year reduces the annualized net benefits (discounted at 3 percent) approximately 6 percent, from $489 million to $457 million. While average annualized net benefits decrease by $32 million, they are still positive.

Regulatory Impact Analysis:

Food Labeling; Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments; Extension of Compliance Date (Final Rule)

Federal Register: 80 FR 39675, July 10, 2015,

Docket: FDA-2011-F-0172