With new menu labeling rules comes many questions. Some of them are going to come from the media. Some of them are going to come from your customers. Will you be ready with answers? Chief Scientific Officer, Gillian Folkes Dagan, PhD and menu nutritional labeling expert Yuly Virviescas look at all the questions your guests and the media will have and how you can be ready to answer them.

1. Menu Labeling Methods:
Which is right for my menu?
Gillian Dagan, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer, ABC Research
Yuly Virviescas
Business Development, ABC Research

2. Meet Gillian Folkes Dagan, PhD
• Chief Scientific Officer at
ABC Research Laboratories
• PhD in Food Science,
specializing in Food
Processing and Quality
• Certified Food Scientist by
the Institute of Food
Technologists
• 10+ years in food science
and QA

3. Meet Yuly Virviescas
• Business Development
Director for ABC Research
Laboratories
• Specializes in food QA and
nutritional analysis for the
restaurant and foodservice
industries
• Degree in Food Science &
Human Nutrition
• 4 years experience
connecting laboratories &
restaurants

4. Meet ABC Research Laboratories
• Serving the food industry since 1967
• Full microbiological, chemical, and nutritional
testing facilities on site
• ISO 17025 accredited
• Specialized programs for restaurant and
foodservice

5. Basics of the Final Rule
• Establishments covered: Restaurants
with 20+ locations. Convenience stores,
grocery stores, movie theaters, bowling
alleys, other places where food might be
sold are included.
• Calorie posting for standard menu items
with succinct statement of suggested
daily caloric intake, additional nutritional
information in available in written form at
point of sale

6. Basics of the Final Rule
• Additional information to be available
to consumers: calories, calories from
fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat,
cholesterol, sodium, total
carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars,
and protein

7. Determination of Nutrient
Content
• Determination of Nutrient Content:
can be completed by nutrient
databases, laboratory analyses,
cookbooks, retail labels on packaged
foods, or FDA/USDA nutritional data
• Must be able to provide information
on the reasonable basis used to
calculate values to FDA

8. Database Analysis
• Database uses a product’s recipe to
calculate nutritional values
• Best used with salads, sandwiches, and
items that are well represented by their
formulations and undergo minimal
changes during cooking

9. Gathering Information: Suppliers
• Request 100 gram, unrounded
nutritional data from your suppliers
• Prevent rounding errors and omission
of information
• Is zero grams of fat really zero?

10. Laboratory Analysis
• Laboratory analysis is the process in
which a laboratory physically extracts
fat, dietary fiber, etc from a sample of
food
• Most accurate determination of
nutritional information
• Takes into account the formulation
and any changes during cooking

11. Laboratory Analysis
• Menu items are physically analyzed
using official validated methods by an
ISO 17025 accredited laboratory
• This is appropriate for menu items that
undergo changes during preparation
or cooking
– Examples are any menu item that is fried,
baked, sautéed, or grilled

12. Database vs. Laboratory
Analysis—Case Study 1
• Hashbrowns
• Oil and Potatoes
• Database counts all food listed in
recipe---Is that accurate?
Quite often a full nutritional analysis can
result in less fat and calories than a
database analysis!

13. Database vs. Laboratory
Analysis—Case Study 2
• Fried Chicken Tenders
• Tenders, egg wash, breading, oil
• What is happening during cooking?
– Moisture loss
– Oil uptake

14. Responsible Sourcing
• What questions should I ask when
looking for a nutritional labeling
provider?
– I’m worried about accuracy—How do I
know the values are correct?
– What if someone questions my nutritional
values? What type of support can I
receive after the analysis is completed?

15. Thank you!
Gillian Folkes Dagan, PhD
gillian@abcr.com
352.246.7739
Yuly Virviescas
yulyv@abcr.com
407.929.1787

16. For More Info
• Other Webinars and White Papers Also
Available in our Resource Center
• Find us Online:
– Facebook: ABC Research Laboratories
– Twitter: @foodtestexperts
– Blog: info.abcr.com
– Linked In: ABC Research Laboratories
• Next Webinar: December 17th, 2PM