By Ken Storey
You might think twice before buying that coffee drink tomorrow morning. Beginning June 25, 2013 Starbucks Coffee will be posting calorie information on menu-boards at all company-operated and licensed U.S. Starbucks locations. The calorie information will accompany each beverage on the menu board while foods will have tags with the information on display in the bakery case. The beverage calorie information will be listed for the standard recipe though the drinks will remain fully customize-able.
The information has been available already via printed brochures, an information tab found on Stabucks.com and in the Starbucks Mobile iPhone App.
Starbucks is just the latest chain to roll out easily visible calorie information. McDonald's began posting calorie information in its menus last year. Panera Bread and Chick-fil-A also post calorie information. Orlando-based Darden Restaurants lists calories, far, and sodium on some of its children menus.
In 2011 New York City passed a so called 'Calorie count law' that required chains to post the calorie information.
The Food and Drug Administration is currently fine-tuning a requirement that all restaurant companies with more than 20 locations to post calorie information. That requirement is part of the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010. There has been some push back by grocery stores, according to federal lobbying records Lakeland based Publix Super Markets has been lobbying to not be required to post nutritional information at its stores. The supermarkets do not want to provide the calorie information on foods prepared in store, such as rotisserie chickens or baked goods, that typically are not consumed in one sitting.
The current requirement that the FDA is fine-tuning also calls for readily available information for consumers on sodium, carbohydrates, and saturated fats of each menu item.
You might think twice before buying that coffee drink tomorrow morning. Beginning June 25, 2013 Starbucks Coffee will be posting calorie information on menu-boards at all company-operated and licensed U.S. Starbucks locations. The calorie information will accompany each beverage on the menu board while foods will have tags with the information on display in the bakery case. The beverage calorie information will be listed for the standard recipe though the drinks will remain fully customize-able.
The information has been available already via printed brochures, an information tab found on Stabucks.com and in the Starbucks Mobile iPhone App.
Starbucks is just the latest chain to roll out easily visible calorie information. McDonald's began posting calorie information in its menus last year. Panera Bread and Chick-fil-A also post calorie information. Orlando-based Darden Restaurants lists calories, far, and sodium on some of its children menus.
In 2011 New York City passed a so called 'Calorie count law' that required chains to post the calorie information.
The Food and Drug Administration is currently fine-tuning a requirement that all restaurant companies with more than 20 locations to post calorie information. That requirement is part of the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010. There has been some push back by grocery stores, according to federal lobbying records Lakeland based Publix Super Markets has been lobbying to not be required to post nutritional information at its stores. The supermarkets do not want to provide the calorie information on foods prepared in store, such as rotisserie chickens or baked goods, that typically are not consumed in one sitting.
The current requirement that the FDA is fine-tuning also calls for readily available information for consumers on sodium, carbohydrates, and saturated fats of each menu item.
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| Some Starbucks have already been posting calorie information as this 2009 photo proves. |