The new Federal law passed through health reform legislation is estimated to affect over 200,000 restaurants across America. The Food Labeling Legislation was signed into law March 23, 2010 and requires nutrition labeling of conventional menu items for chain restaurants, retail food establishments and corporate caterers with 20 or more places, food delivery institutions, convenience stores, movie theaters, bakeries, cafeterias, trains and airlines in addition to chain vending machines, food carts, lunch wagons and cookie stores.
The three Big requirements Are: calorie count should appear on menus and menu boards includes desserts, drinks, takeout, and site menus; a statement should appear on the menu which sets the calorie information in the context of a total daily caloric intake; and additional nutritional information has to be available upon request. All standard menu items including poultry, meat and alcoholic drinks will have to exhibit the calories count in a type size that matches the title or price of this menu item whichever is larger and using the same color or contrasting background as the menu item. Compliance is expected by March 2011.
This law presents some big challenges that restaurant owners and food providers are discovering daunting. These include receiving proper nutrient analysis from providers; controlling specific portion control; locating aesthetic solutions for displaying nutritional information; and upgrading these as providers change portion sizes and recipes. Restaurant owners are in a Flurry trying to determine how to display the mandated information within the boundaries of current menu boards. Printed signage does not enable the flexibility for changes and upgrades. But if restaurants require a digital menu board software to requirements of this law the previous two challenges from the above list are readily digestible. Why?
- Simple to design and maintain an attractive menu board that satisfies the requirements of the law and remains true to restaurant brands.
- When connected to databases, digital menu boards are dynamically updated as nutrient content changes are made and as a bonus, promotions can be scheduled to automatically start and stop at predetermined times.
- Hardware and software for digital menu boards is growing more cost-effective and energy efficient.
- Eateries utilizing digital boards portray a sleek, updated look that clients are coming to expect.
Digital menu boards allow Restaurants to have the flexibility to create, design and redesign until they find something that works with their specific establishment. This experimentation is missing printed signage. Also, consider that mistakes of last minute changes could be repaired in a matter of seconds in 1 shop or within a network of hundreds of shops.