New Regulations
Calorie Labelling in the Out-of-Home sector
Encouraging people to make healthier lifestyle choices can only be a positive thing, so we welcome the new calorie labeling law that is due to take effect for certain businesses in England this April. For some of you, there is work to be done to comply with the regulations on time. For many others, the law won’t apply to you, though you may wonder if consumer expectations for wider business will soon change. Either way it is useful to know what’s happing, so here is our quick fact guide.
WHAT?
The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 No. 909
Calorie information must be listed on all food and drink prepared and sold for immediate consumption (non-prepacked food); examples of this include a meal or drink ordered at a restaurant, a burger or smoothie prepared and packaged at the business premises ready for sale, or a croissant on a shelf packaged once bought by a consumer. The calorie information will need to be provided at the point at which the consumer chooses what items to buy (e.g. on a physical menu, an online menu or on third-party delivery platforms).
WHEN?
6th April 2022
WHO?
Applies to businesses in England with 250 or more employees that prepare and sell food or drink that is ready for immediate consumption and is not pre-packed. Examples of food businesses: restaurants, takeaways, cafes, entertainment venues and supermarkets fall within the scope of these regulations. A business operating through a franchise model, may be considered as a whole business and the Calorie Labelling Regulations will also apply if the total number of employees is greater than, or equal to, 250.
Exemptions:
Hospitals; educational institutions for pupils below the age of 18; care homes; military establishments.
What information must be displayed?
1
The energy content of a single portion of the food (or, of the whole item if the item purchased by the customer has been prepared for consumption by more than one person) in kilocalories, followed by the letters "kcal".
2
The size of the portion to which the information relates.
3
A statement that "adults need around 2000 kcal a day".
WHY?
To enable customers to make healthier choices when eating out and on the go.
The Penalties?
A fixed monetary penalty of £2,500 can be imposed if a business does not comply.
How can suppliers such as Matthew Algie help you prepare?
Pre-packaged food and RTD items from our Espresso Warehouse range are already labelled with calorie information. Our own coffee to-go-stations that fall under the requirements of the law will be updated with stickered calorie information. When it comes to freshly made drinks however, the ingredients that we offer, for example, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, smoothie mixes and toppings, are only part of the finished drink you sell. Calorie count may vary depending on your additional ingredients and your specific preparation methods and procedures. It must therefore remain the responsibility of you (the retailer) to calculate and display calorie information where applicable by law and to ensure processes are in place to maintain consistency in every drink served.
We have pulled together the below links to help make it a little easier for you:
How to calculate calories?
There is a FREE online tool that helps businesses manage allergen and calculate calories in the foods they serve. Free training is also offered – MenuCal.
• https://www.menucalni.co.uk/ • https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/business-and-industry/safety-and-regulation/menucal
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