New Calorie Labelling Legislation for April 2022
If you’re a medium to large business trading throughout England, you should be clued up on the latest legislation the government is putting into place regarding calorie publications, but if you’re only just hearing this news carry on reading for what it means for your business.
The new legislation coming into effect in April 2022 only applies to those who have 250 or more employees in England only. The legislation was discussed in parliament back in 2018 to tackle obesity in the UK by helping customers that are eating out can make healthier choices when it comes to food and drink.
The calories must be labelled on business’s menus including menus published online and menus available for delivery.
The private sector isn’t the only sector which this legislation affects, some public sector institutions will also be required to publish this nutritional information at point of choice. However, the some are currently exempt from this requirement unless their food is dealt by a contract caterer.
Public sector establishments included in this scope are:
- an educational institution for those over 18 years old
- a military establishment
- criminal justice accommodation
- a hospital or other medical institution
- a care home or other institution providing social care
- a canteen at a workplace providing food to employees
At present, the government are only proposing larger business in England to provide this nutritional information as small business may find that this may impact more difficult to implement however, they are encouraging out of scope businesses to try and adopt the legislation. The new legislation is set to be reviewed in 5 year’s time.
The information required on menus is nutritional content such as kcal (energy) compared to the portion size of the dish and listing information on the calorie requirement of adults (2000kcal per day).
Local councils will be providing support for these businesses and ensure smooth implementation. Any business failing to comply with the new legalisation may be fined up to £2500 by local enforcement officers.
Make sure your business is ready for this legislation. For more information on what’s included and any food exemptions, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calorie-labelling-in-the-out-of-home-sector/calorie-labelling-in-the-out-of-home-sector-implementation-guidance.