Because of public concerns about obesity and diabetes, Congress is currently conducting hearings on a bill to require and regulate the Counts of Calories in the menus of restaurants, fast food stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, and all other outlets of pre-prepared foods.
Although not stated during the hearings (broadcast by CSPAN), the Calorie is presumed to be the kilocalorie = 4184 joules. During a hearing last week, all panelists stated that implementation in 2015 (December 1), would not give vendors sufficient time to prepare. For example, the representative of a pizza chain stated that there are thousand of combinations; 4, 8, or 16 slices per pizza, each with many topping options, and each with a different number of Calories per slice. The simplicity of using Calories per gram in harmony with current labels of Nutrition Facts, or using the more SI form, *joules per gram* for all items, was not even considered! Eugene Mechtly
