The Government consulted on calorie labelling for food and drink served outside of the home in 2018. Following on from this, the government has introduced legislation to implement mandatory calorie labelling among large food businesses (businesses with 250 or more employees) in the out of home sector.

The out of home sector is generally considered to be any outlet where food or drink is prepared in a way that means it is ready for immediate consumption, on or off the premises, such as restaurants, cafes and takeaways. However, retail businesses, such as supermarkets, are growing contributors to food sold for consumption on the go.

Food and drink that is prepacked is required to display nutritional information, meaning consumers are familiar with seeing calorie content on the majority of items sold in the retail sector, such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

In contrast, the out of home sector typically sells non-prepacked food and is therefore not required to display nutritional information. This makes it difficult for consumers to make informed, healthier decisions when purchasing food from such businesses. In addition, it also aims to encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options for their customers.

Any businesses that fail to comply with the Regulations may result in a food business being issued with an improvement notice. Although the regulation is only a requirement for larger businesses with more than 250 employees, the government encourages smaller food businesses to also voluntarily adopt the calorie labelling.

For guidance on this regulation, click here.