
PFMA President and CEO David McCorkle, Director of Government and Public Relations Alex Baloga, and a delegation of PFMA members attended the Supermarket Industry Fly-In in Washington, DC. The event was sponsored by the National Grocers Association, the Food Industry Association Executives, and the Food Marketing Institute.
The purpose of the Fly-In was to learn more about federal issues of importance to food retailers and communicate concerns to the Pennsylvania delegation to Congress. Visitors were prepped to discuss issues like tax policy, data security, labor policy, Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), and swipe free reforms. But the topic that was most pressing and warranted the most discussion was menu labeling.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts in late 2014 expanded chain restaurant menu labeling to grocery stores that serve “restaurant-type” food by December 1, 2015. Attendees advocated for a one-year delay of the enforcement date until December 1, 2016. This two-year compliance period gives retailers better answers to which items are covered and more time for health officials to train a consistent regulatory oversight workforce.
The purpose of the Fly-In was to learn more about federal issues of importance to food retailers and communicate concerns to the Pennsylvania delegation to Congress. Visitors were prepped to discuss issues like tax policy, data security, labor policy, Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), and swipe free reforms. But the topic that was most pressing and warranted the most discussion was menu labeling.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) efforts in late 2014 expanded chain restaurant menu labeling to grocery stores that serve “restaurant-type” food by December 1, 2015. Attendees advocated for a one-year delay of the enforcement date until December 1, 2016. This two-year compliance period gives retailers better answers to which items are covered and more time for health officials to train a consistent regulatory oversight workforce.