CALORIE LABELLING
Calorie labelling legislation Hot on the heels of allergen labelling legislation which took effect in October last year, and at a time when many hospitality businesses are still trying to get back on their feet in the wake of Covid, comes new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021. CALORIE DETAILS REQUIRED From 6 April 2022, the new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 came into effect, meaning that many food and hospitality businesses will now be required to display calorie information to customers. Under these new regulations, food businesses with more than 250 employees will be required to provide calorie information on physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms or food labels. And in line with the Calorie Labelling Regulations, businesses will be required to include the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal), reference to the size of the portion which the calorie information relates to and a statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcals a day’. It is estimated that twothirds of adults in the UK are now overweight or obese. This new legislation aims to tackle these rising numbers and promote consumer choice, enabling people to make more informed choices and opt for healthier meals. The Calorie Labelling Regulations apply to foods sold for immediate consumption including prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) items like grab and go sandwiches and salads.
They affect out of home food businesses with 250+ employees and those that do not comply could face fines of up to £2,500. While some businesses may already state calorie content on menus or labelling, the regulations require clear calorific declarations at every ‘point of choice’ for consumers. So, for example, in a single outlet this could extend to a menu board, on-table menus, product labels, display cabinets and an ordering app. Discussing the regulatory changes, George Macfie, food technical manager at testing, inspection and certification company, Bureau Veritas, said: “The health of adults and children has long been a hot topic with various tactics put in place over the years to reduce unhealthy eating, including restrictions on television advertising. “However, with data now showing a staggering number of adults measuring as overweight or obese, the government is taking muchneeded action on larger food businesses to ensure they play their part in supporting informed and smarter food choices. “The legislation will impact a significant number of food businesses, including restaurants, cafés, fast food outlets and takeaways,
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specialist food stores such as delicatessens and sweet shops, as well as domestic transport businesses including planes, trains and ferries.” EDUCATE AND INFORM According to Bureau Veritas, it will be key for business to educate staff members in order to pave the way for a successful transition to the new rules, as they will very likely be responsible for informing visitors on the calorie information and where this can be found. It’s also vital that the calorie information is calculated using average values and supported by data, based on either the manufacturer’s analysis of the food, a calculation from the known ingredients used or from established and accepted data, they propose. George Macfie added: “These food businesses have been focusing on processes to meet the requirements of other regulations such as Natasha’s Law – the legislation governing allergy labelling of food. Now the focus turns to calorie labelling. This is a positive change in the provision of nutritional information which must be researched, planned for, and welcomed. “By implementing changes to food labelling and display, everyone
involved can meet the new requirements and support customers to make better food choices. If it seems daunting, we would encourage firms to seek support from external specialist partners.” Bureau Veritas says that it has recently launched a Calorie Labelling: Guidance for Food Businesses guide which includes all the relevant information for food businesses to follow and details of the exempt food types and organisations (and downloadable from their web site, www.bureauveritas. co.uk). IMPACT UNCERTAIN Sophie Claessens, company dietitian at procurement specialist, allmanhall, acknowledges that the new regulations have caused a lot of controversy in both the hospitality sector and nutrition industry in terms of their possible impact on both eating habits and businesses. “The government says that it will help in the mission to tackle obesity but many nutrition professionals think it is likely to either have no impact at best or a negative impact at worst,” she said. “Many health professionals who work with individuals with eating disorders worry that it will have a negative impact on their recovery. The other concern is that calories
