The Food and Drug Administration announced last Friday it will push back the compliance date for its menu labeling final rule to May 5, 2017, to align with the enforcement date of the rule. FDA made the announcement the day after the original compliance date went into effect on Thursday, Dec. 1.

The rule, finalized in 2014, requires restaurants, similar retail food establishments and vending machines to display calorie content and nutrition information on menu items. IDFA members may be asked by foodservice customers to provide information to help calculate the calorie content for menu items and other nutrition information that may be required.

FDA originally announced that funding provisions in this year’s omnibus bill would delay the compliance and enforcement dates, but it released a statement early last week that confirmed Dec. 1 as the compliance date. FDA says its latest announcement, which moves both compliance and enforcement dates to May 5, supersedes all previous announcements.

Members with questions may contact Michelle Matto, IDFA’s consultant on nutrition and labeling, at amfoodnutrition@gmail.com or Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs, at cfrye@idfa.org.