FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION

1
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
• FAT
• CHOLESTROL
• SUGAR
• SALT AND
• RED MEATS
• EATING AND HEALTH ARE CLOSELY INTER-TWINED.

2
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
• STOUFFERS LIGHT N LEAN AND MARRIOTTS GOOD
  FOR YOU MENUS HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN
  THIS REGARD
• EVEN QUICK-SERVICE OPERATIONS HAVE RESPONDED TO
  THEIR PATRONS DESIRE FOR HEALTHIER FOODS BY
  ALTERING THEIR MENUS VIZ THE PROVISION OF
  SALAD-BARS SOUPS ORGANIC FOODS AND CHOICE OF
  MENU ITEM PREPERATION

3
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
• COMBINED HEALTHY FOODS WITH ETHNIC MENUS
• EMPHASIZED NATURAL AND ORGANIC FOODS WITHOUT THE
  INFLUENCE OF PESTICIDES HERBICIDES STIMULANTS
  OR GROWTH HORMONES
• REBUFFED THE NOTION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED
  FOODS
• ENDORSED BY THE LEGITIMACY BY PROFESSIONAL
  MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS AND
• OFFERING PATRONS INFORMATION AIMED AT HELPING
  THEM MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS ON THE MENU.

4
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

5
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.

6
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
• ETHNIC FOODS
• NATURAL FOODS
• NON-ENGINEERED FOODS
• VEGETARIAN FOODS
• MENU APPROVAL AND ENDORSEMENT BY PROFESSIONAL
  BODIES AND
• OFFERING NUTERITIONAL INFORMATION
• MANY WHO DESIGN FOOD MENUS OR WRITE DESCRIPTIVE
  TERMINOLOGY LACK ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE OF NUTRITION
  TO DO THE JOB REQUIRED

7
FOOD SAFETY AND LEGISLATION

• NEUTRIENTS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN A HEALTHY
  DIET. MENUS MUST BE PLANNED TO PROVIDE FOODS
  THAT MEET PATRONS 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