subject: Restaurant Nutrition Testing May Soon Be Required By Legislation [print this page] Obesity has become a huge problem around the world, particularly in the United States. There are some people that are blaming the restaurant industry for failing to present nutritional value information with all of their foods. The consumers that want this data feel that it will help to make more informed decisions regarding what they are eating.
Restaurants prepare food for the taste, which usually includes an increase in fat, sodium, or sugars. Americans expect a greater level of taste as a dining patron, and there is no denying that cooking with fats, salt, or sugars makes food taste better than without; but because of the growing obesity epidemic in this country, health legislation is being considered to require some restaurants to include nutritional data in the menus.
With nutritional labeling, patrons will at least have the information to choose a menu item aligned with their health and wellness needs.
It is unreasonable that the average consumer will know the calorie content of any given food. There are foods that appear healthy but may have unrecognized oils or sodium. The chefs and food preparation teams don't know the calorie count of every meal they are making, and it isn't their job to know. Professional restaurant nutrition testing is the only avenue for accurate fat content, trans fats, sodium, carbohydrates, fibers, etc.
There is testing available for many reasons. Testing maintains a standard of honesty and full disclosure among restaurants and can also ensure accurate results. Also, typical nutrition labels don't provide the detailed information that many consumers would be looking for.
Testing for sodium levels and nutritional weight could help people choose foods that will better fit their needs whether they are simply trying to lose weight or if they're trying to maintain cholesterol levels.
Testing also provides the benefit of forcing the industry to begin making healthier options available. Disclosing everything that goes in to making a fast food french fry for example, or cocktail sauce for shrimp, will often help patrons choose a healthier option. The restaurant industry is in no way responsible the bulging waistlines, but in providing data to their customers, restaurants may find an appreciative and loyal customer base.
