FDA menu labeling requirements for restaurants
Updated October 20, 2026
The FDA's menu labeling rule (21 CFR 101.11) applies to restaurant chains with 20 or more locations that operate under the same name and sell substantially the same menu items, plus any restaurant that registers voluntarily. Covered restaurants must show calories next to each standard item on menus and menu boards, including online menus, post a 2,000-calorie statement and an "additional nutrition information available upon request" statement, and have written nutrition facts ready. Compliance has been required since May 7, 2018. A single independent restaurant isn't covered unless it opts in.
In short
- Who: chains of 20+ locations with the same name and substantially the same menu items, or restaurants that register with the FDA (Form 3757).
- Where: every menu a customer orders from, including electronic menus and menus on the internet, menu boards, drive-throughs, and signs next to self-service food.
- What: calories per standard item, the word "Calories" or "Cal", the 2,000-calorie statement and the statement that more nutrition information is available on request.
- Choices: two options use a slash ("350/450 calories"); three or more use a range ("350-500 calories").
- Allergens are a separate law: FDA lists 9 major food allergens, including sesame since January 1, 2023, but its packaged-food labeling rules don't cover food wrapped after a customer orders.
- Menuthere stores calories (kcal) and 14 allergen tags per dish on every plan and shows them to customers.
Who has to follow the rule
| Business | Covered? |
|---|---|
| Chain of 20+ restaurants, same name, substantially the same menu items (franchises count) | Yes |
| Grocery store, convenience store or other retail food establishment in such a chain, for its restaurant-type food | Yes, if it meets the same test |
| Independent restaurant or chain under 20 locations | No, unless it registers voluntarily |
| Restaurant that registers with the FDA | Yes. It then isn't subject to non-identical state or local nutrition labeling rules. Registration must be renewed every other year |
"Substantially the same menu items" means a significant share of items made from the same general recipe in substantially the same way, even if the names differ. Count locations under the same name regardless of ownership.
What must appear on the menu
1. Calories for each standard menu item, as usually prepared and offered:
- next to the item's name or price, in a type size no smaller than the name or price (whichever is smaller), in the same color or one as conspicuous, on the same contrasting background;
- rounded to the nearest 5 calories up to 50, and to the nearest 10 above 50 (under 5 may be shown as 0);
- with the word "Calories" or "Cal", either as a column heading or next to each number;
- for multiple-serving items, for the whole item ("pizza pie: 1600 cal") or per serving unit with the number of units ("200 cal/slice, 8 slices").
2. The succinct statement, posted prominently: "2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary." Children's menus may use, instead or as well, a version based on 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day for ages 4 to 8 (one option also adds 1,400 to 2,000 calories for ages 9 to 13).
3. The statement about more information: "Additional nutrition information available upon request." On a printed menu it goes at the bottom of the first page with menu items, next to the succinct statement; on a menu board, at the bottom next to it.
4. Written nutrition information on the premises, given on request: total calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and protein. It can be on a counter card, poster, handout, binder or electronic device. Since May 2018 the FDA has said it won't act against a covered restaurant that leaves out "calories from fat".
Online menus and delivery apps
The rule defines a menu as the primary writing a customer orders from, and lists electronic menus and menus on the internet in that definition. Whether a page counts depends on whether it shows item names (or images) and prices and whether the customer can order from it. A covered chain's own online ordering page or app is therefore a menu.
For third-party delivery platforms, the FDA's draft guidance of December 13, 2023 (Menu Labeling Supplemental Guidance, Edition 2) proposes ways to provide nutrition information voluntarily on those platforms. It's a draft and not for implementation, so check the final version before relying on it.
Variable items, combos and toppings
| Menu shows | How to declare calories | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Flavors or varieties of one item (sodas, doughnuts, grilled or fried chicken) | Separately for each listed flavor or variety; one figure if they round to the same | "Glazed 260 cal, Chocolate 300 cal" |
| A combo with two choices | Each option, with a slash | "350/450 calories" |
| A combo with three or more choices | A range, lowest to highest | "350-500 calories" |
| Bigger or smaller combo size | The difference, by slash or range | "Adds 100/150 calories" |
| "Combine any sandwich with any soup" where each item's calories already appear elsewhere | The combo rules don't apply | No separate declaration |
| All-you-can-eat buffet with no upper limit | A statement next to the name or price sending customers to the buffet signs | "See buffet for calorie declarations" |
Self-service food and food on display (salad bars, buffets, bakery cases) needs a sign next to each item with calories per item or per serving unit ("per scoop"). Self-service drinks show calories per cup size with "fluid ounces". Items on a self-service line for fewer than 60 days a year, or fewer than 90 consecutive days, to test customer acceptance, are exempt.
Worked example: calories for a burger combo
The calorie figures below are examples for illustration, as of October 2026 menus. A covered chain sells a burger combo with a choice of side and drink:
| Component | Options (calories) |
|---|---|
| Burger | 550 |
| Side (3 choices) | Fries 380, side salad 120, fruit cup 70 |
| Drink (3 choices) | Cola 240, unsweetened iced tea 0, water 0 |
- Lowest combination: 550 + 70 + 0 = 620 calories.
- Highest combination: 550 + 380 + 240 = 1,170 calories.
- Three or more options, so the menu shows a range: "Burger combo 620-1,170 cal", next to the name or price, at least as large as the smaller of the two.
- If the kids' version offered only apple slices (60 cal) or small fries (230 cal) with a 290-calorie burger and water, it would show a slash: "350/520 cal".
- If a large size adds 100 to 250 calories depending on the side and drink, the menu adds "Adds 100-250 calories" next to the size option.
At the bottom of the first page, next to each other: the 2,000-calorie statement and "Additional nutrition information available upon request."
Checklist for covered chains
- Count your locations under the same name with substantially the same items.
- Get calorie values for each standard item from a database, recipe analysis or lab testing, and keep the data: the FDA can ask how you derived them.
- Round correctly (5-calorie steps to 50, 10-calorie steps above).
- Apply slashes and ranges to every combo and variable item.
- Post both statements on every menu and menu board, including online.
- Prepare the written nutrition sheet with the 10 required nutrients.
- Label self-service and display food with signs next to each item.
- Recheck after recipe changes, and cost them with the recipe cost calculator.
This is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Check 21 CFR 101.11 and FDA guidance, or ask a food-law adviser.
Allergens: a separate set of rules
The FDA lists 9 major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the ninth on January 1, 2023, under the FASTER Act. The FDA's allergen labeling rules for packaged food don't apply to food a restaurant places in a wrapper or container after the customer orders it. State and local food codes may still require allergen awareness, so check yours. Our guide covers showing allergens on an online ordering website.
How Menuthere handles calories and allergens
On every plan, each dish in Menuthere can carry nutrition and allergen details (see allergens and nutrition):
- Calories in kcal per serving, plus caffeine and sodium, and a halal mark.
- 14 allergen tags: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soy, Milk, Tree nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame, Sulphites, Lupin and Molluscs. They cover all 9 FDA major allergens, with wheat under the Gluten tag.
- Customers see the allergens, calories and halal mark when they open a dish on your ordering page or QR menu.
Most Menuthere restaurants are independents that the federal rule doesn't cover, and for them showing calories is optional. A covered chain should know the limits: Menuthere shows calories as "kcal" on the dish's detail view, in smaller text than the dish name, so on its own it doesn't meet the rule's format (the word "Calories" or "Cal", next to the name or price, in the same type size). A covered chain can write the figure into the dish name itself, for example "Classic burger · 650 Cal", and add the two required statements to its menu text, then confirm the layout with its adviser. Menuthere has no dedicated field for the 2,000-calorie statement.
Printed allergen charts and labels are free with the allergen chart maker and allergen label maker. For your own ordering page, see the online ordering system for the USA, the QR code menu for US restaurants or pricing. Setting prices and tax? Read sales tax on restaurant food.
FAQs
Who has to follow the FDA menu labeling rule?
Restaurants and similar retail food establishments in a chain of 20 or more locations doing business under the same name and offering substantially the same menu items. A restaurant outside that group can register with the FDA voluntarily to be covered.
Do FDA calorie rules apply to online menus?
Yes, for covered establishments. The rule's definition of a menu includes electronic menus and menus on the internet when customers can order from them. For third-party delivery platforms, the FDA's December 2023 draft guidance proposes voluntary ways to show nutrition information.
What statement about 2,000 calories must be on the menu?
Covered menus must say: 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, but calorie needs vary. It must be posted prominently, in type no smaller than the smallest calorie figure on that menu.
How do I show calories for a combo meal?
With two choices, show both figures with a slash, such as 350/450 calories. With three or more choices, show a range from the lowest to the highest combination, such as 350-500 calories.
When did FDA menu labeling take effect?
Covered establishments have had to comply since May 7, 2018.
Does a single independent restaurant have to post calories?
Not under the federal rule, unless it registers voluntarily. Check your state and city, since a restaurant that isn't covered or registered may still be subject to local nutrition labeling rules.
Can Menuthere show calories and allergens on my menu?
Yes, on every plan. Each dish can have calories in kcal, caffeine, sodium, a halal mark and 14 allergen tags, and customers see them when they open the dish. A covered chain should also write calories as Cal next to the dish name to meet the federal format.
Sources (5)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.11, Nutrition labeling of standard menu items in covered establishments (definitions of covered establishment, menu or menu board incl. electronic and internet menus, calorie format, rounding, combination meals, succinct statement, self-service food, voluntary registration): ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-A/section-101.11 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Menu Labeling Requirements (compliance date May 7, 2018; page updated 12/13/2023): fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/menu-labeling-requirements (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Guidance for Industry: Menu Labeling Supplemental Guidance (May 2018; "calories from fat" enforcement discretion): fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-menu-labeling-supplemental-guidance (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Draft Guidance for Industry: Menu Labeling Supplemental Guidance, Edition 2 (December 13, 2023; third-party platforms): fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/draft-guidance-industry-menu-labeling-supplemental-guidance-edition-2 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Allergies (9 major food allergens; sesame from January 1, 2023; FALCPA scope; page updated 03/11/2026): fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies (accessed 20 Oct 2026)