I don’t see the problem with the calorie information. It’s no different then the nutritional information on the label of a can of soup.
The people who want to know can choose to read the label and decide if this substance should be permitted into their digestive track. And people like me who don’t care just buy what we like. Everybody is covered.
The government that governs least, governs best. It is not the role of the government to impose the additional burden and expense on businesses, that will ultimately be borne by consumers, to comply with some politician’s whim about what people need to know.
The free market will deal with the situation very nicely without need for government interference. If there’s demand for this kind of information then restaurants, pursuing their enlightened self-interest, will provide it.
The problem is not the information, I actually like having it there. The problem is the government deciding it MUST be there. Consumers will buy things that suit them. If most people want or need that info and will only buy products with it, the companies will put it there.
Another example of how little the government understands business. This requirement adds cost to an industry that has very low margins. The restauraunt owner has to have his meal items tested for calorie content, then he has to have menus printed and wall posters hung as well as factor in other costs such as standardization of meal portions. Then there is the administrative effort to comply.
The upshot of it all will be fewer choices for consumers, less innovation as they stick with standard meal items longer as to avoid the associated costs of new meal combination testing and printing costs, lower sales and lower margins. This will ultimately impact jobs.