• June 19, 2013

Starting June 25, Starbucks will post calorie counts for its beverages and pastries in all 11,100 company-owned and licensed U.S. locations.

Starbucks will post calorie counts for each beverage listed on menu boards, and use tags to post calories for food in its bakery case.

Calories posted for beverages will be for their standard recipes, although each is customizable--for example, beverages can be ordered without whipped cream or with a different milk or sugar-free syrup option. 

Starbucks has been implementing healthier menu options for several years, including recently introducing salads with under 450 calories. Since 2007, new products at Starbucks have been required to be under 500 calories.

A final version of the FDA's nutrition-posting regulation, which would require all eateries with more than 20 locations to post calorie counts, remains in limbo as non-restaurant retailers including grocery and convenience stores fight their inclusion under the rules.

However, the regulation will presumably go into effect at some point, and Starbucks isn't alone in trying to gain brand cred among health-oriented consumers by voluntarily implementing calorie-count posting.

As part of its efforts to respond to growing criticism that its foods are contributing to the obesity crisis, MacDonald's began posting calorie counts in its U.S. locations last September.