WINNIPEG, Sept. 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Over the next few months, Manitoba restaurant guests will start to see the Informed Dining logo at their favourite chain restaurants. Officially launched today by Minister of Healthy Living Jim Rondeau, this new initiative gives Manitobans access to comprehensive nutrition information before ordering a meal or snack at participating restaurants.
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) is pleased that Manitoba has become the second province to adopt Informed Dining as its nutrition information program. CRFA looks forward to more provincial and territorial governments adopting this national standard, developed in British Columbia, over the coming months.
As a truly national program, Informed Dining ensures restaurant guests see nutritional values, like calories and sodium content, in standard menu choices in a consistent manner all across Canada.
"We are proud to have worked with the governments of both Manitoba and B.C. to help launch Informed Dining in this province," said Dwayne Marling, CRFA's Vice President, Manitoba/ Saskatchewan. "Minister Rondeau and his staff should be congratulated for the significant leadership they've provided in expanding the reach of this program."
"The launch of Informed Dining in Manitoba is a tangible sign of the momentum this program is gaining with both restaurants and governments in all parts of Canada," said CRFA President and CEO Garth Whyte. "Commitment to the initiative is illustrated by the participation in today's launch by iconic restaurant brands: Boston Pizza, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, McDonald's, Subway, and Tim Hortons. These are some of the more than two dozen leading restaurant chains that are implementing Informed Dining, and will be rolling it out across the country."
Several provinces and territories have expressed interest in joining the Informed Dining program. CRFA looks forward to continued healthy discussions on the benefits and advantages of this initiative, as Minister Rondeau and B.C.'s Minister of Health Terry Lake meet with their colleagues from across the country later this week in Toronto.
Visit www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca/home/informed-dining for the Informed Dining website.
CRFA is one of Canada's largest business associations, with more than 30,000 members representing restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and other foodservice providers. Canada's restaurant industry generates $65 billion annually in economic activity and employs more than 1.1 million people in communities across the country.
SOURCE: Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Prasanthi Vasanthakumar, Communications Specialist, 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4254 or [email protected].
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