The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a series of public workshops about menu labeling to help the industry comply with requirements to provide calorie and other nutrition information to consumers. The workshops will address the menu labeling final rule, which require certain chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments to give consumers nutrition information on standard menu items. The compliance date for these requirements is May 5, 2017.

These workshops are to continue FDA’s dialogue with the industry about implementation of the menu labeling final rule and provide additional clarity on the requirements. Interested parties will have the opportunity to discuss specific menu labeling questions and concerns directly with FDA subject matter experts through pre-scheduled one-on-one sessions.

Upcoming Workshops

College Park, Maryland: July 7-8, 2016 – 8 am to 4:30 pm – Harvey Wiley Building, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, MD

St. Louis, Missouri: September 27-28, 2016 – 8 am to 4:30 pm – Robert A. Young Federal Building, 1222 Spruce St., St. Louis, MO

Oakland, California: A third meeting will take place in Oakland, California, later in 2016. We will make a separate announcement about the California workshop when the event details have been finalized.

Registration and Meeting Information

Workshop attendees are encouraged to register online to attend the meeting in person and via live webcast. Attendees may also request a one-on-one session with FDA subject matter experts. The number of these sessions is limited, so early registration is recommended to facilitate planning of one-on-one sessions and due to limited seating.

• Register Online

For questions about registering for the meetings or to request special accommodations due to a disability, contact Cindy de Sales, The Event Planning Group, 8720 Georgia Ave., Suite 801, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone: 240-316-3207; Fax: 240-652-6002; Email: rsvp@tepgevents.com.

For general information about the public meetings, contact Loretta A. Carey, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy, College Park, MD 20740; Phone: 240-402-2371.

Important Dates

Please note the following important dates:

College Park, MD Meeting – July 7-8, 2016

•  6/30/16 – Deadline to request special accommodation due to a disability

• 6//30/16 – Advance registration deadline for Maryland meeting

St. Louis, MO Meeting – September 27-28, 2016

• 9/13/16 – Deadline to request special accommodation due to a disability

• 9/20/16 – Advance registration deadline for Missouri meeting