It will soon be easier for consumers to make informed decisions about what they put in their bodies away from home.

Menu labeling has been a topic of great discussion in recent years, and rules have now been finalized to soon make mandatory menu labeling a reality.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized the new rule requiring that calorie information be listed on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments. The Menu Labeling Final Rule applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments if they are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, offering for sale substantially the same menu items and offering for sale restaurant-type foods.

Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home. Making calorie information available will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families.

Dr. Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition released a statement elaborating upon the final rule:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a draft guidance document that will help companies to comply with the menu labeling final rule, which requires that calorie information be listed on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations. In July, FDA extended the compliance date an additional year, beyond the original December 2015 compliance date, to help facilitate efficient compliance across all covered establishments. The guidance document issued today is an important resource in our efforts to assist those in covered establishments to comply with the rule by Dec. 1, 2016. Ultimately, consumers will be able to make more informed choices for themselves and their families.