Highlights from the Proposed Vending Rule - document

<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the information on the document from which I am pulling out a few interesting points:</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Food Labeling: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food in Vending Machines NPRM </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES </div><div class="MsoNormal">Food and Drug Administration </div><div class="MsoNormal">Docket No. FDA-2011-F 0171 </div><div class="MsoNormal">Office of Regulations Policy and Social Sciences </div><div class="MsoNormal">Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition </div><div class="MsoNormal">March 2011 </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And my little points of interest are:</span></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There is one vending machine for every 40 people in the USA</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">10% of the items in the machines do not have nutrient data available and would require laboratory analysis to be in compliance with the law</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Foods eaten away from home are often associated with over consumption of calories because of their extreme caloric density.  Vending machine "meals/snacks" make up 5% of away from home eating.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"present-bias" is a term that refers to thinking about what we want <i>right here and now</i> and not the consequence it may have on our weight or health in the future.  Having caloric information "in our faces" at the time of purchase may have an impact on this phenomena.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">79 Million adults are considered to be obese (USA)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A lot of convoluted math was thrown out in this document and by convoluted I mean complicated and over my head.  The authors of the report suggest that informing consumers about the calories in foods may lead to a reduction in caloric intake.  In order for this policy to be beneficial, we should decrease caloric intake from vending foods or drinks by 140 cals per day*.  If this is done, they extrapolate (with caution), we could see a decrease in the obesity rate in adults by 4.3%.  This regards only this intervention, not other strategies. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Vending machine food is associated with higher calories, thus weight gain and obesity.  Obesity is itself related to adverse health outcomes, disability, decreased productivity and abbreviated life expectancy.  However, people tend to live just as long when they are obese, just not terribly well it seems.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am really concerned about the sentence below regarding the nutrient analysis and disclosure piece - as stated on page 16 (the underlined part esp.).  In other words, the proof of accuracy should not be a choice but a given.</span></span></li></ul><blockquote><div class="Default"><span style="font-size: large;">Although the proposed rule does not mandate recordkeeping, vending machine operators will <u>likely need </u>to be able to ensure that calorie disclosures for covered vending machine foods are accurate and consistent without needing to re-analyze these foods.  </span></div></blockquote><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The exception to the rule (p. 18)! Here is the kicker. It says in this document that if total calorie content is included on the label and that label is viewable through the case (i.e a glass case) then the machine would be exempt from the new rules.  If we could walk up and see that the fritos have 300 calories for the bag we are thinking of buying - before we buy it, then the machine is already doing what the law intends.  Thus, I have two things to say.  One - years ago I said, turn the packages around - and I still think that is a fine start.  Two, - front of pack labels :)</span></span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The document is available on the Internet <a href="http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/LabelingNutrition/UCM249278.pdf">here</a>.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">**correction - that should read 140 calories a week. </span></span>

Highlights from the Proposed Vending Rule - document

Here is the information on the document from which I am pulling out a few interesting points: Food Labeling: Calorie Labeling of Articles of...

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