The DHSC consultation on out of home calorie labelling - Which?'s response

Summary:

Which? supports the proposal to require mandatory calorie labelling in the out of home food sector. Many people eat out on a regular basis and so it is important that they are able to make informed choices. Our consumer research has shown that this is a move that the majority of people would find useful. Six in 10 people (60%) think that the amount of calories should be provided on the food in cafes and restaurants for transparency. 57% of people think that this should be mandatory.

Greater consideration, however, needs to be given to the scope of this mandatory requirement. This should reflect the nature of businesses within this sector and the feasibility of them providing this information so that it is meaningful and useful for consumers, rather than taking a blanket approach. 

We agree that information should be provided at consumers’ point of choice. Information on the recommended daily reference intake should be available more generally to help people put the calorie information per portion into context. Information provided as kilojoules is not useful, as consumers are unfamiliar with this unit, and the legal requirement for this should be reviewed.