Calorie labelling on Menu's

In 2022, UK law will ensure restaurants provide calorie information to the consumer.

What is the law?

The Law requires food businesses to provide mandatory calorie labelling among large food businesses (businesses with 250 or more employees)

What this means in practice, it ensuring you have all the correct calorie information for all food you sell.

How we can help

Using Allergy Menu allows you to provide all your calorie and allergen information in one single place, where you can centrally manage it.

Our menu app can be used by Staff & Customers to ensure accurate communication of information.

Want to see how we can help, sign up today and get 1 months free trial to see how we can help your business here.

In the UK, legislation concerning the display of calorie information on menus is designed to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. This requirement primarily applies to large food businesses, and the key legislation is the Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021.

Calorie Labelling Legislation

Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021

Scope: This legislation mandates that certain food businesses must display calorie information on their menus. It applies to large businesses with 250 or more employees, including restaurants, cafes, takeaways, and online food delivery services.

Requirements:

Calorie Display: Calories must be displayed for all standard food and drink items on menus, menu boards, and online menus. This includes:
Food and drink prepared in advance.
Food and drink prepared to order.
Self-serve items like buffets or salad bars.

Format:
Calories should be displayed as “kcal” (kilocalories).
Information must be presented clearly and prominently at the point of choice, such as next to the item name or price.
A statement must be included on the menu or menu board to help consumers understand daily calorie needs, typically: "Adults need around 2000 kcal a day."

Exemptions: Certain foods are exempt from this requirement, including:
Temporary menu items available for less than 30 days per year.
Food provided by charitable organizations for free or at cost.
Pre-packaged food items already compliant with other labelling regulations.

Enforcement: Local authorities are responsible for enforcing these regulations. Businesses that fail to comply may face improvement notices and, if necessary, further legal action, including fines.

Key Points for Compliance

Menu Updates: Ensure all menus (physical, digital, and online) are updated to include calorie information for each standard item.

Staff Training: Train staff to understand and comply with calorie labelling requirements.

Consumer Communication: Clearly communicate the calorie information to consumers at the point of choice, ensuring visibility and legibility.

Nutritional Analysis: Accurately calculate the calorie content of menu items, considering all ingredients and portion sizes.

Benefits of Calories on Menu's

Consumer Awareness: Helps consumers make more informed dietary choices.

Health Promotion: Supports public health initiatives aimed at reducing obesity and related health issues.

Transparency: SIncreases transparency and trust between food businesses and their customers.

The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 represent an important step in promoting healthier eating habits among consumers. By ensuring calorie information is clearly displayed on menus, large food businesses can play a significant role in supporting public health objectives. Compliance with these regulations is essential for businesses to avoid penalties and contribute to the overall well-being of their customers.

How Allergy Menu Works

Changing your matrix to a digital version enables you to do so much more.

Updatable

It's easy to keep up to date, as you can easily change it at a moment's notice via your mobile phone.

Searchable

Easy to find the allergies in a dish by a simple search.

Communicate

You can easily communicate your allergy data to your customers and staff.

Accountable

Only the right person in your organisation can control this data, ensuring safety.

Reduce Risk

You can reduce the risk of deadly mistakes being made with your allergy data.