restaurant industry
How does Italy tackle food waste? Doggy, or rather, ‘family bags’
The Italian Senate passed a law that makes it easier for farmers and processors to donate food to charities and encourages restaurants to send food home with diners in doggy bags, says the Guardian. A sponsor says 1 million tonnes of food per year, or one-fifth of annual wastage, will be saved by the bill, which comes six years after France passed similar legislation.
Foodmakers say ‘not so fast’ to FDA call for less salt in food
The FDA called on foodmakers and restaurateurs to reduce sharply the amount of salt in their products to help Americans avoid high blood pressure and the risk of chronic illness. The food industry balked, saying it already has low-salt products on sale and that the science on healthy salt levels was not as clear as the government says.
Restaurant trade group to sue over New York salt warning
The National Restaurant Association plans to sue New York City's health department to block a requirement that restaurant chains put warning symbols on their menus to alert customers to foods that contain high amounts of salt, reports Capital New York.
FDA extends menu-labeling deadline to late 2016
The FDA said it would give restaurants an additional year, until Dec. 1, 2016, to comply with a requirement that they list calorie counts on menus and menu boards.
Calorie counts at restaurants may help consumer nutrition
Ahead of regulations that would require restaurants and fast-food to provide information such as calorie counts for their offerings, USDA researchers examined the impact of information now being given voluntarily by vendors. An Economic Research Service bulletin, "Consumers' use of nutrition information when eating out," says people who eat out frequently are less likely to use nutrition information at restaurants than those who dine out more often.
Restaurant chains cut calories 12 percent in new menu items
A survey of menus at the 66 largest U.S. restaurant chains found a new items on the menu contain 12 percent fewer calories, says a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Chicago looks at “Big Data” for restaurant inspections
Chicago's public health department "is experimenting with a new technology to guide where (restaurant) inspections should occur, based on factors such as current weather, nearby construction and past health code violations," says the Washington Post in an article on applying so-called Big Data to food safety. New York City's health department "is testing software that scans online reviews...flagging mentions of potential food-poisoning events."
Fast-food or full service, people eat more at restaurants
People consume more calories, sugar, fat, and salt when they go to a restaurant, whether it's full service or a fast-food outlet, says a study in the journal Public Health Nutrition.