- The Department of Health and Social Care plans to require restaurants with over 250 employees to report the average number of calories consumed by diners.
- These proposals aim to combat obesity, reduce food intake, and encourage large restaurant chains to increase the healthiness of their sales.
- UK Hospitality, a trade body, expressed that the industry was "totally blindsided" by the plans, warning of increased costs and further red tape for struggling businesses.
- A 2024 study indicated that previous mandatory calorie labelling on menus, introduced in 2022, did not significantly change the number of calories people bought or ate.
- Eating disorder charities have voiced concerns that calorie labelling can exacerbate anxiety and lead to harmful behaviours for individuals with eating disorders.
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Restaurants could be forced to report customer calorie counts to help combat obesity
