Montgomery County will not enforce all of a new local law that requires the suburb’s restaurant chains to disclose health information on its menus.
“I have concluded that the most prudent course of action is to proceed with enforcing the components of county law that are identical to [the national health care law] and delay those components of county law that the FDA will address in federal regulations,” County Executive Ike Leggett wrote in a memo to County Council President Valerie Ervin.
State and local governments cannot impose nutritional labeling requirements on eateries that are not identical to those in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in March.
Though restaurants still will be required to display calories for each standard menu item, they won’t have to show calories for different flavors and varieties, suggested daily caloric intake or the nutritional information for alcohol.
County officials will start enforcing the law Jan. 1.
