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Your guide to Calorie Labelling

Launched in 2022, we’re here to help the UK hospitality industry understand what it is, why it’s important and how to add calorie labelling to your menu.

What is the calorie labelling legislation?

Launched in 2022, as part of a wider plan to tackle obesity, the government introduced legislation to implement mandatory calorie labelling on non-packaged food and soft drinks at the ‘point of choice’ among large food businesses (businesses with 250 or more employees) in the out of home sector.

Food and drink that is prepacked is already required to display nutritional information. 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.

Calorie labelling legislation is intended to help consumers make healthier decisions, and aims to encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer to provide lower calorie options for their customers.

Businesses with fewer than 250 employee’s are not subject to the regulatory requirement at this time, however are encouraged by the government to also voluntarily adopt calorie labelling.

Businesses that are adopting the calorie labelling legislation must:

  • Display the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal)
  • Reference the size of the portion to which the calorie information relates
  • Display the statement that ‘adults need around 2000 kcal a day’

Calorie information, the reference to portion size, and the statement of daily calorie needs must be displayed clearly and prominently at the ‘point of choice’ for the customer; this is considered any place where customers choose what food and drink to buy. For businesses where consumers may choose their food in several locations, such as a menu on the premises, a display case on the premises, and an online menu, businesses are required to provide calorie information at each.

Information displayed must be easily visible, clearly legible and not hidden/obscured. Ensuring the information is easily visible could be achieved by using the same font type or style of lettering, colour, size and background of the description or price of the corresponding item.

The statement of calorie needs ‘adults need around 2000 kcal a day’ must be displayed once on every page of the menu (and where the menu is a double-sided card, on each side of the menu). If on a menu board, ensure the statement can be easily read when looking at the board.

NB – Children’s menus are not required to display this statement.

For accuracy of calorie, calculations these can be based on:

  • Manufacturers analysis
  • Calculation from known or average values in ingredients
  • Calculation from generally accepted data sets

However, businesses are permitted a 20%+/- change to the calorie content of the dish without having to update the calorie information on the menu. In view of inherent variations in ingredients, processing of foods etc. there can be a tolerance of 20%.

Drive visibility of healthier choices on your menu

If your business is in scope of the legislation, or you are looking to voluntarily adopt calorie labelling in order to support consumers to make healthier choices, then you will need to display the following information to comply with government guidance:

  • The energy content of the food or drink in kilocalories (kcal)
  • The size of the portion to which the calorie information relates
  • The statement ‘adults need around 2000 kcal a day’

Also consider how you will account for ice and garnishes when calculating the calorie information for soft drinks.

Help your guests to make informed choices

69% of soft drinks consumers ‘agree’ that they would like to see more healthy soft drinks on offer.

Calorie labelling legislation gives your customers the information they need to be able to make an informed choice about their health.​

​Whilst only non-packaged food and soft drinks are in scope of the legislation, consider if you are able to provide calorie content across other areas of your menu too, to make it even easier for customers to make the right choice for them.

Highlight low calorie and zero sugar

50% of the population are actively reducing their sugar intake. The use of colour, shapes and icons will break up the menu and make it easy for zero sugar or low calorie choices to be located.

Inspire through taste descriptors and imagery

Taste is the No.1 driver of soft drinks purchase. Tempting taste descriptors and imagery will drive desire for the low calorie options that are showcased on the menu.

 

This guidance is intended to work alongside the Government guidance and the legislation itself. Information to compile what we have outlined has been taken from the currently published Government guidance or is Britvic’s interpretation of aspects of the legislation and therefore does not constitute legal advice.

A full overview of the Government guidance can be found below:

Calorie labelling in the out of home sector: implementation guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calorie-labelling-in-the-out-of-home-sector/calorie-labelling-in-the-out-of-home-sector-implementation-guidance

The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 (legislation.gov.uk)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/909/contents/made

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