Boris Johnson unveiled calorie counting rules after a near-death encounter with Covid. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images Europe
Johnson Initially, businesses were supposed to label the calories in alcohol as well, but have abandoned it due to fierce opposition from the beverage industry.
Calorie labeling is unlikely will put any companies out of business, but hospitality bosses claim it has added insult to injury at a time when they are already struggling.
The policy was introduced when most restaurant finances were already strained due to pandemics. Soaring energy and staff costs since then have only exacerbated the problems.
“This has undoubtedly increased costs at a time when they needed to prioritize other things,” says Keith Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality.
The trade organization estimates that the change has cost businesses an average of £20,000 in the year since the legislation was passed. Costs arise from the man-hours required to find countries with calorie content from suppliers and reprint menus in several restaurants.
High-end restaurants and small businesses with fewer than 250 employees are exempt from the rules. Temporary items on menus less than 30 days are also not required to list calories.
However, despite exceptions, the law still applies to many small restaurant businesses that have multiple sites.< /p>< p>Galvin, co-owner of Galvin Restaurants, says it has cost his business thousands of pounds and pushed up the prices of his menus.
Despite the hassle, he says there is little evidence that calorie labeling has changed habits visitors.
“I can’t say that it had a big impact on what customers chose, because we sell as many desserts, we sell as many dishes that can have a higher calorie count than we do,” he says.
Nicholls says politics has made it harder for chefs to be creative.
“When putting together a whole summer or spring menu, they don’t do it at this point in time because it’s very uncertain, especially if you tie it into the uncertainty in the supply chain, the lack of products and their replacement in a short time, and the impact that it has on calories” , she says.
1903 Obesity and Carbohydrates
Johnson's successor Liz Truss considered phasing out calorie labeling, saying voters «don't want the government to tell them what to eat.»
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However, Truss's short time in office meant that she could not change that policy. It is assumed that Rishi Sunak has no plans to revise it.
Not all hotel companies oppose the legislation. Some large companies, such as McDonalds, have been listing calorie counts on their menus for years. JD Wetherspoon was also an early adopter.
Pub chain manager Tim Martin says: “We've been providing calorie information on the menu — the calorie content of each individual dish — for about 10 years, and never once had any complaints.
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“I think it's a plus to provide customers with the information they need and want. For example, McDonalds and Starbucks. Some people criticize our American cousins, but they often get ahead of the game.”
He adds: “Remember, Weatherspoon banned smoking long before the smoking ban. The same pioneering spirit.”
While smoking cessation has clear health benefits for clients, the positive impact of calorie counting is less clear.
Studies show that this policy has had a detrimental effect of about per 1.2 million people living with eating disorders in the UK.
According to a survey of 400 people living with or recovering from these disorders, calorie labeling is overwhelmingly bad for those struggling with these conditions.
80% said it negatively impacted their recovery, according to the charity organization Beat Eating Disorders, which conducted the survey. 90% said it affected their menu choices at restaurants, and 70% said they were less likely to eat out due to the change in the law.
Tim Martin's Wetherspoon has been providing calorie counting on menus for a decade. Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley
For Webb, legislation has turned eating out or even ordering takeout into a minefield.
“I opened Deliveroo to order something, as it often does most of us, and that didn't help.» It never occurred to me that the numbers would be on Deliveroo, too,” she said.
“It really got attention. To be honest, it was the first time in many years that I actually cried and worried. I probably hit myself in the head at this point and just got really upset at a level I hadn't been at in so long.
“If that's the effect it might have after recovery, the impact it might have on people who are more vulnerable will extend much further than how I reacted.» billion a year and is the second leading cause of cancer in the UK.
“Clear food labeling plays an important role in helping people make healthier choices for themselves and their families when eating out or buying takeaway food . In addition, it may encourage businesses to reformulate and offer lower calorie options.
“We carefully considered the views of a wide range of experts in response to our public consultation on calorie labeling, including advice from experts from organizations such as diabetes. Great Britain».
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