Bureau Veritas urges food & hospitality firms to prioritise calorie labelling
From 6 April, the new Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 are coming into effect, meaning many food and hospitality businesses will now be required to display calorie information to customers.
Under the new regulations, food businesses with more than 250 employees will be required to provide calorie information on physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms or food labels.
In line with the Calorie Labelling Regulations, businesses will be required to include the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal), reference to the size of the portion which the calorie information relates to and a statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcals a day.’
It is estimated that two-thirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese. This new legislation aims to tackle these rising numbers and promote consumer choice, enabling people to make more informed choices and opt for healthier meals.
As a direct response to the new regulations, leading compliance specialist Bureau Veritas is urging food businesses to prioritise the correct labelling of food, to ensure full compliance.
Discussing the regulatory changes, George Macfie, food technical manager at Bureau Veritas, says: “The health of adults and children has long been a hot topic with various tactics put in place over the years to reduce unhealthy eating, including restrictions on television advertising. However, with data now showing a staggering number of adults measuring as overweight or obese, the government is taking much-needed action on larger food businesses to ensure they play their part in supporting informed and smarter food choices.
“The legislation will impact a significant number of food businesses, including restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets and takeaways, specialist food stores – such as delicatessens and sweet shops, as well as domestic transport businesses including planes, trains and ferries.”
According to Bureau Veritas, it will be key for business to educate staff members to pave the way for a successful transition to the new rules. They will be responsible for informing visitors on the calorie information and where this can be found. It’s also vital that the calorie information is calculated using average values and supported by data, based on either the manufacturer’s analysis of the food, a calculation from the known ingredients used or from established and accepted data.
George continues: “These food businesses have been focusing on processes to meet the requirements of other regulations such as Natasha’s Law – the legislation governing allergy labelling of food. Now the focus turns to calorie labelling. This is a positive change in the provision of nutritional information which must be researched, planned for, and welcomed.
“By implementing changes to food labelling and display, everyone involved can meet the new requirements and support customers to make better food choices. If it seems daunting, we encourage firms to seek support from external specialist partners, such as Bureau Veritas, which can help to achieve compliance.”
Support with the Calorie Labelling Regulations is one of a wide range of food sector services from Bureau Veritas combining vast industry experience, regulatory understanding, and a passion for food to help deliver solutions in food safety and compliance. A leader in testing, inspection and certification, Bureau Veritas offers food safety and hygiene audits, digital solutions to maintain compliance, food safety complaint investigations, technical support including food safety management and HACCP reviews, as well as other health and safety services including legionella testing and fire risk assessments.
Bureau Veritas has recently launched a ‘Calorie Labelling: Guidance for Food Businesses’ which includes all the relevant information for food businesses to follow and details of the exempt food types and organisations. The guide can be downloaded here.
For further information about Bureau Veritas, visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk.
