On behalf of more than 114 million Americans living with and at risk for diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) celebrates the recent implementation of the national menu labeling policy by the US Food & Drug Administration. The national menu labeling policy requires consumers be informed about the calorie count of all menu items and, upon request, access to more detailed nutrition information, such as carbohydrate and sugar content. ADA has been an ardent supporter of providing calorie information for standard menu items and carbohydrate and sugar content, upon request, so consumers can make healthy food choices.

“Having access to supplementary nutrition information, primarily the grams of carbohydrate in a meal or prepared food, is essential for people who have diabetes,” said ADA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy LaShawn McIver, MD, MPH. “For weight and blood glucose management, as well as determining insulin dosage, it is vital for people living with or at risk for diabetes to keep careful track of the carbohydrates, including sugar, they consume. We are thrilled that this critical information will now be more widely available.”

The menu labeling policy, originally included in the passage of the Affordable Care Act 8 years ago, calls for mandatory calorie counts on menus and menu boards, and for food on display in chain restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and movie theaters, effective Monday, May 7. The law also requires calorie labeling by July 2018 on more than 99% of the nation’s millions of vending machines.