S. 1048 · 111th Congress
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 111th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
HarkinSponsor6 cosponsors · 5 D, 1 I
3 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act or the Howard M. Metzenbaum MEAL Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations doing business under the same trade name to disclose: (1) in a statement adjacent to a standard menu item, the number of calories, grams of saturated plus trans…
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · May 14, 2009
Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act or the Howard M. Metzenbaum MEAL Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations doing business under the same trade name to disclose: (1) in a statement adjacent to a standard menu item, the number of calories, grams of saturated plus trans fat, grams of carbohydrate, and milligrams of sodium in each such item; (2) other information designed to enable the public to understand the significance of the nutrition information provided in the context of a total daily diet; (3) that such nutrition information is available in writing at the point of ordering; and (4) the number of calories in food on a drive-through menu board, adjacent to each menu item. Exempts condiments, items placed on a table or counter for general use, daily specials, and temporary menu items.
Requires restaurants that sell self-serve food and beverages, such as through a salad bar, buffet line, or cafeteria lines, to place a sign that lists the number of calories per serving adjacent to each food item or beverage offered.
Requires vending machine operators who operate 20 or more vending machines to provide a conspicuous sign disclosing the number of calories contained in each article of food dispensed from such machines.
Permits restaurants and vending machine operators to voluntarily provide, and states to require, additional nutritional information.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Howard M. Metzenbaum Menu Education and Labeling Act
Also known as: Howard M. Metzenbaum MEAL Act
Latest action (May 14, 2009): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: May 14, 2009
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.