AB 664

This bill requires certain chain restaurants to disclose nutritional information

for menu items. The requirements apply to a restaurant that is one of at least 20

restaurants in this country doing business under the same trade name and offering

menus with substantially identical menu items.

Under the bill, a chain restaurant must disclose on a menu or menu board

located inside or outside of the chain restaurant, the number of calories in a single

order of the menu item. The chain restaurant must also disclose on the menu or

menu board the suggested daily caloric intake and a statement that additional

nutritional information is available upon request. If a chain restaurant offers food

in a salad bar, buffet line, or cafeteria service, the restaurant must disclose the

number of calories next to the food. If the chain restaurant offers a menu item in

various flavors, varieties, or combinations, the chain restaurant must disclose the

median number of calories per single order if the number of calories for each flavor,

variety, or combination varies from the median by 20 percent or less. If the number

of calories for each flavor, variety, or combination differ from the median by more

than 20 percent, the chain restaurant must disclose the number of calories as a range

from lowest to highest number of calories.

The bill requires every chain restaurant to have on the premises and make

available to a customer upon request all of the following nutritional information for

a single order of each menu item: the number of calories from fat, the number of

grams of total fat, the number of grams of saturated fat, the number of grams of

carbohydrates, the number of grams of sugar, the number of milligrams of sodium,

the number of grams of dietary fiber, and the number of grams of protein.

Under the bill, the Department of Health Services may impose a forfeiture of

between $50 and $500 for a violation of the requirements to post or provide

nutritional information. Any restaurant that provides nutritional information is

immune from civil liability as a result of providing inaccurate information, if the

restaurant provided the nutritional information in good faith.