Mandatory Calorie Labelling in Hospitality
Earlier this year the Government confirmed its plans to make calorie labelling for out-of-home food businesses mandatory in April 2022. In this article, we look at who will be affected, when the new regulations are likely to come into effect and how your business could be affected.
While the growing rate of obesity in the UK has been a topic of conversation for well over a decade, the pandemic has brought the health of the nation into sharp focus for the Government. Research confirmed that being overweight or obese puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, and with almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England overweight or living with obesity, the Government is set on tackling the issue.
Calorie labelling on menus hasn’t been unheard of before now, some operators such as Wetherspoons already publish this information on their menus. Back in 2010, the Food Standards Agency conducted a trial including some of the UK’s biggest hospitality operators in displaying calorie information, and while most did not extend the practice after the trial several operators did commit to displaying calories in the future, including The Real Greek and Pret-A-Manger.
There is a lot to be said for helping consumers make more informed food choices when eating out-of-home. Researchers from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research found that restaurants that display calories on their menus serve healthier food than those that don’t. And with a huge increase in home delivery food services over the last couple of years, encouraging people to be more mindful of their choices seems like a good idea.
There is some debate about the timing, with the sector still in a delicate stage of recovery, UKHospitality warns that menu labelling could cost as much as £40,000 per menu for some businesses.
In this article, we look at some of the most pertinent questions that operators need to consider ahead of the new law, including who is affected, how, and what can be done now in preparation to ease the transition for businesses.
Who is affected?
The new legislation is set to target larger operators with businesses that have 250 or more employees being required to label calories on menus. This will include cafes, restaurants, and takeaways to display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drink items.
The legislation focuses on the impact of large businesses, and not impacting on small, independent businesses that might struggle to implement such requirements.
When will the new regulations come into effect?
The new legislation is set to come into effect in April 2022. And while industry bodies are voicing concerns surrounding the timing and petitioning for a delay, it is important that operators are prepared to implement the changes from April.
Where will calorie labelling be required?
Calorie information will need to be displayed at the “point of choice” for the customer. So, operators will need to consider physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.
What else will we need to consider?
As well as providing calorie information on menus and labels, there are also plans to roll out other measures as part of the anti-obesity drive, such as a ban on free refills of sugary soft drinks in restaurants and bars.
What can you do?
As well as making plans to implement the new requirements, there are plenty of things operators can consider to help with the transition.
Look at the nutritional value of your current menu options to ensure your operation provides a range of choices. With customers being encouraged to look at calorie information, you may want to consider extending the range of low-calorie options on offer to ensure revenue isn’t affected as consumers become more health-conscious.
Educating staff will be an important part of the transition. Your teams should be able to inform and advise customers on the nutritional information of various menu items, as well as be knowledgeable about the provenance of ingredients to highlight the other desirable qualities of your venue’s menu. It will be important to communicate to guests the other aspects of your menu options, such as whether ingredients are locally sourced and the benefits of opting for seasonal veg, for example.
Take a look at how our food control software and nutritional management solution can support your hospitality operation.
