WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Convenience Stores is hailing a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives today that NACS said represents "another giant step forward in ensuring consumer choice and making it possible for convenience stores and others to comply."
By a bipartisan vote of 266–144, the House approved H.R. 2017, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015, introduced by Reps. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), to clarify and simplify costly and complex menu-labeling regulations for foodservice establishments created by the Food and Drug Administration under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Leading up to the vote, NACS encouraged its members to communicate to their representatives the importance of passing H.R. 2017, an outreach that NACS said resulted in hundreds of letters sent to Capitol Hill.
"The House of Representatives has spoken: We need a common-sense approach to menu labeling that ensures more nutritional information and choice for consumers, while simplifying compliance for businesses of all sizes seeking to meet consumer needs," said Henry Armour, NACS president and CEO. "We deeply appreciate the hard work and patience of the sponsors of H.R. 2017 in systematically advancing this bill."
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. "[We] hope the Senate will act expeditiously to ensure that healthy and convenient food choices are available to meet rising customer demand without overly burdening small businesses," Armour said
Foodservice sales are a rising portion of convenience stores' business, now accounting for nearly 19% of total in-store revenues at $42 billion in sales, as busy customers look for fast and healthier options to go.
NACS feels the FDA's proposed regulations are designed in a way that adds unfair costs and compliance barriers to establishments with offerings that do not appear on a centralized "menu" board. A commonly cited example is how differently food is ordered from a central point in a traditional fast-food restaurant vs. the multiple coffee, frozen drink and food islands in a convenience store.
NACS has worked closely with both congressional leaders and the FDA to ensure that final regulations allow the industry to meet the ACA's goals of more informed consumers and healthier fare while facilitating compliance by convenience stores and other small businesses. Click here for more information from NACS. www.nacsonline.com/menulabeling.
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