FDA issues final rule on calorie labelling for glass-front vending machines

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule to revise the type size requirements for calorie labelling on packaged foods sold in glass-front vending machines. 

The rule finalises the 2018 proposed rule and requires that the FOP calorie declaration type size be at least 150 percent (one and one-half times) the minimum required size of the net weight declaration on the package of the food item. 

The FDA previously required that the type size for calorie information be at least 50 percent of the size of the largest printed item on the label for items being sold in glass-front vending machines with FOP labelling to convey calorie information to consumers.

Following the publication of a final rule in 2014, which established the previous requirements, some trade associations and food manufacturers indicated that this requirement presented significant technical difficulties to the packaged food industry. In response, the FDA issued the proposed rule in July 2018 with alternative approaches for type size requirements, which have now been finalised.

Vending machine operators who own or operate 20 or more vending machines, or who voluntary register with the FDA, are required to declare calories for foods sold from vending machines. Front-of-pack labelling is one way that vending machine operators may comply with the calorie labelling rules.