Nottingham diners eating at chain restaurants and pubs will notice a change on menus from today. The number of calories for each dish must be shown by businesses with more than 250 employees. The rules also apply to takeaways.
The Government has brought in the measures to help tackle obesity and allow people to make healthier choices when eating out. Under the new rules, large food and drink businesses in England must display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drinks.
Some businesses such as McDonald's and Wetherspoon pubs previously showed the information but now it applies to all by law. A survey carried out by Public Health England found that four in five people supported the Government's move to make calories clearer on menus. Although the new information might be useful to those counting calories not everyone is in favour of the move.
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Kate Nicholls, boss of the industry group UK Hospitality, said the new rules came at the “worst possible time for thousands of businesses struggling to survive”. She added: “It’s completely unfair to expect businesses devastated by Covid to all of a sudden introduce complicated and costly new labelling when they’ve much more pressing matters to attend to – recouping their losses of the past 24 months for a start.”
Eating disorders charities fear it could cause distress and anxiety, saying calorie counting can become a fixation for people with anorexia and can cause feelings of guilt and distress for those who experience binge eating. For this reason, Wagamama is one of the restaurants which will have two menus available - one with calories and one without on request.
Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier said: “After two years of working with our charity partners Young Minds, disordered eating for young people is something we’re acutely aware of. As calories become a legal necessity for all restaurants, we’ve decided to offer a non-calorie menu for guests suffering with a challenging relationship with food.”
It is estimated that overweight and obesity-related conditions across the UK cost the NHS £6.1 billion each year. Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity – and one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese.
Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill, said: "Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families, both in restaurants and at home. That is why we want to make sure everyone has access to accurate information about the food and drink we order.
"These measures form an important building block in our strategy to support and encourage people in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight."
