The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released updated information and an FAQ document on the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which takes effect in January 2014, and may impact a variety of commercial foodservice equipment hooked up to potable water. Congress enacted the RLDWA in January 2011 to amend Section 1417 of the…

The National Restaurant Association’s first-ever Restaurant Innovation Summit in Denver last week brought together restaurant and foodservice professionals, as well as leaders from Google, Square, Wendy’s, Bloomin’ Brands and Dunkin’ Brands to focus on customer engagement through emerging technology. The summit featured sessions on utilizing mobile technology, maximizing in-store and out-of-store customer interaction and leveraging…

The Hawaii State Department of Health plans statewide public hearings Dec. 2-6 to introduce new food-safety regulations affecting all restaurants and food establishments in the state. The new regulations, the first substantial update in the state since 1996, include adoption of the 2009 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Model Food Code as the basis for…

The National Restaurant Association has launched a broad-based grassroots effort among its members urging Congress to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling to maintain economic stability and consumer confidence. Scott Defife, exec.v.p.-policy and government affairs, said the shutdown is cutting into operators’ bottom line and negatively impacting the livelihoods of the restaurant…

The government shutdown is endangering what America eats, according to food-safety experts. Offices are dark across the federal agencies charged with making sure that fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other domestically produced food are safe to consume. Inspectors, administrative staff, lab technicians, communications specialists and other support staff members have been sent home. The Food…

Composters, manufacturers and restaurant executives have more work to do before compostable plastic products get wider use in the food industry, according to Jeff Clark, director of the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve Education Sustainability Program. Clark, one of the speakers at a webinar organized by the Foodservice Packaging Institute, said four barriers need to be…

In a move strongly opposed by the California Restaurant Association and other business lobbying groups, California lawmakers have approved an increase in the state’s minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour by 2016. The bill was approved Sept. 12 by the state Assembly following earlier approval by the state Senate. The $2-per-hour increase, which…

In what will likely come as a relief to many small businesses, employers will not face a penalty if they fail to inform their workers by Oct. 1 about changes under the 2010 healthcare law, the Obama administration said last week. Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, employers are required to notify employees by Oct.…

Two Denver-area Steak `n Shake stores at the center of a menu-pricing battle between corporate headquarters and three franchisees seems to have concluded. The stores are now closed, but the Indianapolis chain plans to re-open them as company-owned stores. The closings came not long after a bond was filed in federal court that put into…

The National Restaurant Association has named 14 members of the foodservice and allied industries, all sustainability experts in their own fields, to its Conserve Sustainability Advisory Council. The council is part of the NRA’s plan to help restaurateurs better understand environmental awareness and become more resource-efficient through its Conserve Sustainability Education Program. The new council…