Calorie counts to be listed on menus

Obesity plan prompts Cabinet split over ‘burdensome’ costs to small businesses

CALORIE counts will have to be displayed on the menus of all restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets under plans that have prompted a Cabinet row, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

The Department of Health will unveil proposals within days to display the number of calories in every meal to enable people to make healthy choices.

However, the Treasury has warned that the plans to tackle obesity are likely to be “burdensome” for 26,000 small businesses and could force them to raise food prices and cut jobs.

While some larger chains – including Mcdonald’s and Pizza Express – have voluntarily adopted calorie counts, most smaller restaurants and cafes do not include them on menus.

A draft consultation, seen by The Daily Telegraph, states that new legislation will be introduced to ensure there is “consistent” calorie labelling for restaurants, cafes, takeaways and online delivery services. It says: “Making this information available can help people to make informed and healthy choices for themselves and their family to regulate their energy intake and that of their children effectively.”

Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has written to David Lidington, the Prime Minister’s de facto deputy, raising significant concerns about the policy. She accuses the Department of Health of significantly underestimating the cost of the policy for small businesses, which will have to calculate the precise calorie content of each dish and print new menus. These menus would change every time a recipe is altered.

Ms Truss is calling for the Government to “minimise or eradicate costs to businesses” and show “flexibility in implementing the measures”. In a letter sent last month, she makes clear that the Treasury could block the policy.

She says: “I am concerned these proposals could result in job losses and higher food prices being passed on to consumers. It could cost businesses, including SMES, up to £13million (an average of £500 each for 26,000 businesses per year), and individual costs may be particularly burdensome to micro and small businesses which frequently change their menus to offer seasonal local foods.

“I am also concerned that the accompanying impact assessment may underestimate the cost to businesses of ongoing compliance with complex and specific new regulations.”

In a letter accompanying the consultation Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, says: “Childhood obesity is one of the biggest health problems this country faces, with almost a quarter of children overweight or obese before they start school, rising to over a third by the time they leave.”

He adds: “This represents a huge cost to the well-being of the individual, the NHS and the wider economy.”

The row emerged as a study by the World Health Organisation found Britain had some of the worst inactivity levels in the world, with nearly four in 10 adults failing to get enough exercise.

That Britain has a rising problem with obesity is visibly obvious. Some 22,000 11-yearolds are severely obese. We have been crowned the fattest nation in Western Europe. It is estimated that half the population will be obese by 2045. But is the answer really – as the Government seems to think – to launch a consultation on laws that would force all restaurants, cafés, online outlets and fast-food outlets, whatever their size – to display calorie counts on menus?

Many large chains, such as Mcdonald’s and Pret a Manger, already do this. Small shops and country pubs rarely do so. But it is the latter that such changes would affect most punitively. As Liz Truss has pointed out, the move would hit some 26,000 small businesses, which have neither the time, expertise or money to carry out such practices – leading, inevitably, to both higher food prices being passed on to the customer and job losses as smaller outlets would subsequently be forced to close down, costing the economy £13 million.

Those in our society most prone to obesity – who are mainly to be found in less well-off and poorly educated households – are already the least likely to take any notice of nutritional advice. They are also more likely to eat the junk food and sugarladen drinks to be found at the likes of Mcdonald’s, where calorie labelling shows no sign of slowing custom. Moreover, calorie labelling is a simplistic tool that does not accurately reflect real nutritional value. A hundred calories of carrots is still going to be better for you than the same value in chocolate.

And where does this end? Calorie labelling on every draught tap in every pub? The move is infantilising and economically damaging. The Government must rethink.