WASHINGTON — The question of the hour for menu labeling is which type of establishments will be required to post calorie counts for menu items, the Associated Press reports. It’s fairly certainly that chain restaurants with more than 20 locations will have to comply with the rules, but non-restaurants that serve food have been lobbying hard for exemptions.

In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the regulations would be delayed, possibly to the end of the year. However, the agency recently sent the rules to the White House, which means the final version could come sooner than expected. Once the final rules have been released, calorie labels would likely become required within six months.

One restaurant segment not happy with menu labeling is the pizza industry. Many pizzerias, including Domino’s, want to put the information online, given how few people frequent their carryout and delivery storefronts.

Besides restaurants, other retailers unhappy with the proposed rules include grocery stores and convenience stores, with both groups arguing that the menu labeling law should only apply to restaurants with more fixed menus. “The cost of compliance for a convenience store is different than a one-time cost to McDonald’s,” said Lyle Beckwith, NACS Vice President of Government Relations.

NACS supports the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act (H.R. 1249/S. 1756), which outlines a less burdensome approach to menu labeling and includes language addressing the types of retail locations that are covered by federal menu-labeling requirements. For those convenience stores that would be covered by federal menu-labeling requirements, the act provides more flexibility with compliance.