Regulatory Transactions

WASHINGTON, DC — The Food and Drug Administration’s initial projected date for issuing final vending machine calorie-disclosure rules had been April, but the regulation had not been finalized within that time-frame. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now has said that the rule will be promulgated in its final form in September.

The FDA had issued a draft of its proposed labeling requirements for vending machines in April 2011. | SEE STORY

‘While the setting of the final action deadline for the final Calorie Disclosure Rules to September 2013 reflects the importance of this issue to the FDA, it’s important to recognize that this is only a projection, not a definitive date for issuance of the final rules,” said Eric Dell, National Automatic Merchandising Association senior vice-president of government affairs. “We will continue to provide members with the latest information and guidance related to this significant issue.”

NAMA explained that on July, 3, the OMB published an update to the “Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions,” detailing the Obama Administration’s regulatory plans for the upcoming months. These plans include updates on pending regulations and anticipated deadlines. One of the listed items for final rulemaking is the Food and Drug Administration’s pending rule on “Calorie Labeling of Articles of Food Sold in Vending Machines.”