BRIEFING
Regulations and requirements for a new year
From energy usage to so-called ‘forever chemicals’, new and evolving regulations will affect the US foodservice industry this year. Amelia Levin outlines what’s coming down the track in 2024
T
here are four main topics or areas to watch out for this year when it comes to federal and state regulations impacting
the foodservice industry, according to Charlie Souhrada CSFP, vice president, regulatory & technical affairs for the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM).
NEW ENERGY REQUIREMENTS “Energy regulations at federal and state level will continue to grow throughout the year in order to address the climate, not just on the cold side, but we’re starting to see more activity on the hot
side as well,” Souhrada says. At federal level, the Department of
Energy is playing a bit of ‘catch-up’ on several regulations since the pandemic and that will lead to proposed enhanced energy regulations – primarily impacting automatic commercial ice makers, commercial refrigeration equipment and walk-in coolers and freezers, according to Souhrada. Te last set of major energy regulation changes occurred in 2019. Additionally, a handful of states are
focused on stepping up energy usage regulations for other types of commercial appliances, chiefly including, convection
ovens, dishwashers, fryers and steamers. Tis is due, in part, to a push by the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), a coalition of three organizations looking to reduce planet-warming emissions and other air pollution. Once focused on the consumer market, ASAP has more recently turned its attention to commercial businesses, including foodservice operations. “Some states are pushing through a
host of new requirements, and they’re using ENERGY STAR® requirements as the baseline, which is a bit controversial, as the program is intended to be voluntary,” says Souhrada. “Unfortunately, using ENERGY STAR as the [baseline], could challenge some rebate programs.” According to ASAP’s websites, the states involved in these changes or potential changes are Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, along with the District of Columbia. NAFEM is working with the DOE and other stakeholders to make these standards more consistent across the board. Additionally, the California Energy Commission looks to set standards of its own and NAFEM wants to collaborate with the CEC to set an example that other states can emulate. Tis could help manufacturers avoid conflicts with various regional standards when going to market in different parts of the country. Consultants, in the meantime, “should
be aware of these changing regulations if they are doing business in these states,” says Souhrada.
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