November 18, 2015 – ARLINGTON, VA – Food Marketing Institute (FMI) today reaffirmed the supermarket industry’s strong support for legislation (H.R. 2017), introduced by Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), that was favorably reported by the House Energy and Commerce Committee today by a vote of 36 to 12, with one member voting present. The bill, supported by nine democrats and 27 republicans, adopts needed modifications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) chain restaurant menu labeling rule to make it workable in a grocery store setting.
H.R. 2017, as modified, does not exclude retailers from the menu labeling regulations, and all of the provisions in the bill are afforded to all establishments so restaurants and retailers with different food service formats have a level playing field for complying with the law. FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin offered this statement regarding the markup.