FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• A HEALTHY LIFE IS DEPENDANT UPON HEALTY FOODS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A CHANGE IN EATING PATTERNS THAT HAS FORCED MENU PLANNERS NOT ONLY TO CHANGE THE TYPES OF FOOD ITEMS OFFERED, BUT THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY ARE PREPARED AND SERVED;• FOODS DEMANDED ARE OFTEN MANDATED TO HAVE LESS:(1)FAT;(2)CHOLESTROL; (3)SUGAR; (4)SALT; AND (5)RED MEATS•EATING AND HEALTH ARE CLOSELY INTER-TWINED.

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• MANY MENUS ARE NOW INCORPORATING HEALTHY AREAS IN

THEIR MENUS FOCUSING ON A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND DIET:• THE HILTON OFFERS “FITNESS FIRST” ITEMS WHICH EMPHASIZE

LOW CALORIE; LOW SALT; LOW FAT; AND LOW CHOLESTOROL ITEMS;

• STOUFFER’S “LIGHT N’ LEAN” AND MARRIOTT’S “GOOD FOR YOU” MENUS HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN THIS REGARD;

• EVEN QUICK-SERVICE OPERATIONS HAVE RESPONDED TO THEIR PATRON’S DESIRE FOR HEALTHIER FOODS BY ALTERING THEIR MENUS VIZ THE PROVISION OF SALAD-BARS; SOUPS; ORGANIC FOODS; AND CHOICE OF MENU ITEM PREPERATION;

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• NEW LABELLING REQUIREMENTS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS AND HEATHFUL QUALITIES OF FOOD ITEMS ON THE MENU;

• ALL NUTRITIONAL OR HEALTH CLAIMS MADE BY THE MENU MUST MEET LABELLING CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY JURISDICTIONAL LEGISLATION;

• THUS ALL “LOW-FAT” AND “HEART-HEALTHY” CLAIMS MADE IN THE DESCRIPTIVE TERMINOLOGY MUST BE LEGALLY PROVEN;

• MANY ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CAPTURING THEIR RESPECTIVE TARGET MARKETS BY POSITIONING THEIR RESPECTIVE MENUS USING THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES:

(1) COMBINED HEALTHY FOODS WITH ETHNIC MENUS;(2) EMPHASIZED NATURAL AND ORGANIC FOODS WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF

PESTICIDES; HERBICIDES; STIMULANTS; OR GROWTH HORMONES(3) REBUFFED THE NOTION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS;(4) ENDORSED BY THE LEGITIMACY BY PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS ;

AND(5) OFFERING PATRONS INFORMATION AIMED AT HELPING THEM MAKING

INFORMED DECISIONS ON THE MENU.

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• MENU LABELING IS ENSHRINED BY LAW ALLOWING THE

SUBSTANTIATING OF NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTH CLAIMS MADE ON MENUS, AS WELL AS CLAIMS MADE ON PLACARDS, POSTERS, AND ON SIGNS IN RESTAURANTS;

• ONCE A RESTAURANT MAKES A HEALTH CLAIM REGARDING A MENU ITEM, IT MUST SUBSTANTIATE THAT CLAIM. A NUTRIENT CLAIM MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF A PARTICULAR NUTRIENT IN A MENU ITEM; WHILST A HEALTH CLAIM STATES THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A FOOD ITEM AND DISEASE PREVENTION;

• FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD REQUIRE THE POSTING OF CALORIE INFORMATION AS PROMINENTLY AS THE PRICES LISTED ON THE MENU, AND MUST POST CALORIE COUNTS AND OTHER NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS AS WELL, PREMISED UPON EVIDENCE;

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• THE COLOUR, SIZE, BACKGROUND AND READABILITY OF THE

TEXT IS MANDATED TO BE CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS;• BESIDES MANDATORY POSTING OF TOTAL CALORIES PER

PORTION, LEGISLATION ALSO REQUIRE EVIDENCE-BASED PRINTED INFORMATION ON DEMAND ON FAT, TOTAL FAT, SATURATED FAT, CHOLESTEROL, SODIUM, CARBOHYDRATES, SUGARS, DIETARY FIBER, TOTAL PROTIEN AND DAILY CALORIC INTAKE;

• THE PROVISION OF ACCURATE INFORMATION IS NOT WITHOUT OTHER PROBLEMS. RESTAURANTS ARE PRONE TO DEVIATION IN INGREDIENT COMPOSITION, INCONSISTENCY OF PORTIONING, AND VARIATION IN RECIPE TESTING FOR NUTRITIONAL ANALYSES, WITH THE PROVISION OF ERRONEOUS INFORMATION AND UNDERSTATED CALORIE COUNTS NOT BEING UNCOMMON.

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• NB: REMEBER THE HEALTH-CONSCIOUS POSITIONING OF THE

MENU CAN BE CAPTURED IF THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS ARE JUSTIFIED ON THE MENU:

(1)ETHNIC FOODS;(2)NATURAL FOODS;(3)NON-ENGINEERED FOODS;(4)VEGETARIAN FOODS;(5)MENU APPROVAL AND ENDORSEMENT BY PROFESSIONAL BODIES;

AND(6)OFFERING NUTERITIONAL INFORMATION;MANY WHO DESIGN FOOD MENUS OR WRITE DESCRIPTIVE

TERMINOLOGY LACK ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF NUTRITION TO DO THE JOB REQUIRED;

FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION• NEUTRIENTS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN A HEALTHY DIET. MENUS

MUST BE PLANNED TO PROVIDE FOODS THAT MEET PATRON’S HEALTH NEEDS. NEUTRIENTS CAN BE LOST DURING STORAGE, PRE-PREPERATION, COOKING, AND HOLDING. SO CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO RETAIN NUTRITIVE VALUE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE;