Industry, trade, and other associations, including the grocery industry, have asked for an additional year to comply with the menu labeling final rule, beyond the original December 2015 compliance date. The FDA agrees additional time is necessary for the agency to provide further clarifying guidance to help facilitate efficient compliance across all covered businesses and for covered establishments to come into compliance with the final rule.
To support compliance by December 2016, the FDA will continue to engage in discussions with the covered businesses and to answer questions about how the rule applies in particular situations. In addition, the FDA plans to issue in August 2015 a draft guidance document that provides answers to some of the more frequently asked and crosscutting questions that the agency has received to further assist covered establishments in complying with the rule. There will be an opportunity for comment on the draft.
In addition to the guidance, the FDA will also provide educational and technical assistance for the covered businesses and for state, local, and tribal regulatory partners to support reasonable and consistent compliance nationwide.
