Cincinnati does not impose city-specific menu labeling, but chain restaurants with twenty or more locations nationwide must post calorie counts under federal FDA rules, enforced through state and federal channels rather than CMC.
Unlike some larger cities, Cincinnati has not enacted a local menu calorie labeling ordinance. Instead, chain restaurants operating in the city are subject to the federal FDA menu labeling rule under the Affordable Care Act, which requires standard menu items at chains with twenty or more locations nationally to display calorie information on menus, menu boards, and drive-through displays. Additional written nutrition information must be available on request. The Cincinnati Health Department does not separately audit calorie labeling; enforcement runs through the FDA and the Ohio Department of Health. Independent and small-chain restaurants are exempt and can voluntarily display nutrition information.
Failure of a covered chain to post calorie counts can trigger FDA warning letters and corrective action; Cincinnati Health Department typically refers complaints to state and federal regulators rather than citing under CMC.
See how Cincinnati's calorie labeling rules stack up against other locations.
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