Coming Soon to Ruin Your Midafternoon Vending Machine Snack: Calorie Counts

About 5 million machines will have to offer calorie counts of snacks beginning in 2014.

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Vending machines across the U.S. will soon join the ranks of restaurants destroying the illusion that your favorite snack is not that bad for you by offering calorie count information to consumers. Starting in 2014, about 5 million machines across the country will provide calorie counts of their snacks under new labeling guidelines outlined in the Affordable Care Act. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the labeling requirements will help consumers make healthier snack choices, CBS News reports.

An estimated 5 million vending machines provided by over 10,000 companies will have to comply with the new rules, which are expected to cost the vending machine industry $25.8 million in the first year and $24 million every year following.

Vending machine companies have a year to update their products with calorie count information. Under the Affordable Care Act, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations will also be required to provide the information. According to the FDA, if .02% of obese adults cut their weekly caloric intake by 100 the savings of the health care industry would equal the cost of the changes to vending machines.

Poor Famous Amos.

[CBS News]