Government Policy and Regulation – Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine

Black-Market Restaurant Reservations Impact Operators

FER Edit — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:28:52 +0000

A growing black market for hard-to-get restaurant reservations is causing issues for operators, the National Restaurant Association says. The association explains that individuals and companies are using technology to grab reservations from legitimate restaurant websites or restaurant-approved reservation sites and then selling them on unauthorized online resale sites and social media.

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Safety Organization Rolls Out PFAS-Free Certification

FER Edit — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:52:48 +0000

Manufacturers of food equipment materials, nonfood compounds and chemicals can now certify their products as PFAS-free under the NSF’s newest guideline. NSF Certification Guideline 537: PFAS-Free Products for Nonfood Compounds and Food Equipment Materials was publicly announced on March 25. “With growing concerns and new regulations being introduced on PFAS in our environment and food supply…

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Department of Labor Looks To Protect Employees From Extreme Heat

FER Edit — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:03:23 +0000

Last week the Department of Labor posted a proposed rule aimed at protecting millions of employees from significant health risks of extreme heat. The department says record-breaking temperatures across the nation have increased the risks employees face on the job, especially in summer months. According to the release, if finalized, the proposed rule would help protect some 36 million employees…

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7 Ways To Be More Sustainable

Allison Rezendes — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:15:30 +0000

For some restaurant brands, sustainability might start with meeting regulations, but there are so many more benefits. “I encourage companies to not simply look at sustainability as a compliance requirement, but to look at it as an opportunity to drive value by engaging new customers and reducing costs,” says James Cascone, sustainability leader and partner at Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory.

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Industry’s 5 Families, More Oppose DOE Proposed Standards

FER Edit — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:32:02 +0000

The industry’s five families—CFESA, FCSI, FEDA, MAFSI and NAFEM—plus, the National Automatic Merchandising Association sent a letter to House and Senate leadership opposing a DOE proposed standard. In an April 2 release, NAFEM explains the letter shared the organizations’ opposition to the DOE’s proposed energy-conservation standards for commercial refrigeration equipment. They advocate for a…

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Regulatory Compliance Burdens a Top Concern Among Manufacturers

FER Edit — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:28:02 +0000

NAFEM says regulations and the cost of compliance are escalating at such a rate that they have become the top business concerns of manufacturers who responded to its recent survey. The association, which represents the $14.3 billion U.S. FE&S industry, surveyed 398 member companies from July 31-Aug. 21. Results represent a 12.5% response rate. The costs of regulatory compliance are high, with 40%

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Manufacturers: Proposed DOE CRE Standards Could Impact Service Side

Lauren Coughlin — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:40:50 +0000

Keeping an eye on the horizon—with looming changes by the Department of Energy to commercial refrigeration equipment energy efficiency standards—NAFEM shared the results of a recent member survey in a Jan. 24 webinar. About three dozen tuned in. The survey, which also relied on input from members of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) as well as the National…

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EPA Proposes Rule To Restrict HFCs in Refrigeration Equipment, Other Products

FER Edit — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 17:16:24 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a proposed rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act that will restrict the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in refrigeration equipment and other products. The rule would prohibit manufacturing and importing products containing restricted HFCs by Jan. 1, 2025, in most cases, and prohibit the sale…

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New Energy Star Specifications for Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers Effective Soon

FER Edit — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 21:52:52 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Version 5.0 Energy Star Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers product specification will go into effect on Dec. 22. As of then, only products verified to Version 5.0 and submitted by EPA-recognized certification bodies to EPA using the Version 5.0 web service will be displayed on the list of certified models. The new specification…

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California FAST Act Put on Hold

FER Edit — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 17:08:44 +0000

California voters are saying not so fast to the state’s FAST Recovery Act, legislation that was set to go into effect on Jan. 1 and establish a council to set standards for minimum wages and working conditions for fast-food restaurants. The Save Local Restaurants Coalition—led by the National Restaurant Association, International Franchise Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—gathered…

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