Nutrition facts label
Additionally, there is a requirement for ingredients to be listed in order from highest to lowest quantity, according to their weight.
The label was mandated for most food products under the provisions of the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), per the recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It was one of several controversial actions taken during the tenure of FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. The law required food companies to begin using the new food label on packaged foods beginning May 8, 1994. (Meat and poultry products were not covered by NLEA, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed similar regulations for voluntary labeling of raw meat and poultry.) Foods labeled before that day could use the old label. This appeared on all products in 1995. The old label was titled "Nutrition Information Per Serving" or simply, "Nutrition Information".
New York State Restaurant Association v. New York City Board of Health
New York State Restaurant Association v. New York City Board of Health is a case decided by the Second Circuit United States Court of Appeals. The case arose after New York City passed a law in January 2007 to become the first American city to require restaurant chains to state the number of calories in everything on their menus. The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) sued, arguing infringement of commercial freedom of speech under the First Amendment. The NYSRA also argued that the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990 and FDA regulations New York's calorie posting regulation. The Second Circuit rejected all of the Restaurant Association's claims and upheld the New York City law. Congressman Henry Waxman, who was the NLEA's chief sponsor, joined an amicus brief in support of New York City's position and was represented by Public Citizen Litigation Group.