Calorie labeling on restaurant menus: the federal rule
Restaurant chains with 20 or more locations must post calories for standard menu items and give fuller nutrition information on request. The rule explains why calorie numbers end in 0 or 5, why some menu boards show ranges, and why limited-time items sometimes have no numbers at all.
Contents9 sections
Key takeaways
- The rule covers restaurants in chains of 20 or more locations operating under the same name with substantially the same menu.2
- Menus and menu boards must show calories and the statement “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary.”2
- Calories are rounded to the nearest 5 up to 50 calories and to the nearest 10 above that.2
- Ten nutrients, from calories to protein, must be available in writing on request.1
- Daily specials, custom orders, condiments for general use and items offered for less than 60 days a year are exempt.2
Quick facts
| Who must comply | Chains with 20 or more locations, same name, substantially the same menu2 |
|---|---|
| Compliance date | May 7, 20181 |
| Regulation | 21 CFR 101.112 |
Who has to post calories
The federal menu labeling rule applies to a restaurant or similar food business that is part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name, regardless of ownership (franchised locations count), and offering substantially the same menu items.2 Every chain on ChainMenus is far above that threshold. Businesses outside the rule can register to follow it voluntarily.2 FDA set May 7, 2018 as the compliance date.1
What the menu board must show
For each standard menu item, the menu or menu board must show the number of calories for the item as usually prepared and offered for sale.2 Two statements must also appear:
- “2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary.” Menus aimed at children may use a statement based on 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day for ages 4 to 8 instead or as well.2
- “Additional nutrition information available upon request.”2
Self-service food, such as items on a buffet, needs calories posted close to each item.1
Why calorie numbers are rounded
Calories on menus are rounded to the nearest 5-calorie step up to and including 50 calories and to the nearest 10-calorie step above 50; amounts under 5 calories may be shown as zero.2 Chains usually publish the same rounded figures in their nutrition guides, which is why almost every value on ChainMenus ends in 0 or 5.
Ranges, slashes and combo meals
Some menu items come in several flavors or versions but appear as one line on the board. For these variable items, the rule allows two calorie figures separated by a slash when there are two options (“150/250 calories”) and a range when there are more (“100-250 calories”).2 A combination meal, such as a sandwich with a side and a drink, can be shown the same way.2
Multiple-serving items such as a whole pizza can be labeled either for the whole item or per discrete serving unit, such as a slice, as long as the number of servings is stated.2 That is why pizza chains list nutrition per slice.
ChainMenus avoids ranges where it can: each size or version a chain publishes is shown separately on the item page, and ranges appear only in lists, to show the spread across sizes.
What must be available in writing
On request, a covered restaurant must provide written nutrition information for its standard menu items: total calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and protein.1 The regulation text itself, 21 CFR 101.11, also still lists calories from fat, which is why some chains publish it as an eleventh value.2 These ten values are the core of every ChainMenus item page. Many chains publish more, such as added sugars, potassium or caffeine, and some publish less for certain items, for example drinks sold in bottles. When a value is missing from a chain’s information, we say it is not published instead of filling the gap.
How chains work out the numbers
A covered business must have a reasonable basis for its nutrition values. It may use nutrient databases, cookbooks, laboratory analyses, or the Nutrition Facts labels of packaged ingredients.2 The numbers describe the standard recipe. Portion sizes vary with each preparation, and a custom order (for example, a sandwich without its sauce) will differ from the published figure.
What is exempt
The rule does not apply to food that is not a standard menu item. That includes condiments for general use on the table or counter, daily specials, temporary menu items, custom orders and food that is part of a customary market test.2 A temporary menu item is one that appears on the menu for less than a total of 60 days in a calendar year; a market test is an item offered for less than 90 consecutive days to test customer acceptance.2 This is why some limited-time items reach the menu before a chain’s nutrition guide lists them.
Sources
- 1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Menu Labeling Requirements Checked 8 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 2
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