Online takeaways may be forced to carry calorie labels

ONLINE food delivery companies, cafés and restaurants could be forced by law to display calorie labels.

The plans are intended to tackle diabetes by making sure that families know how much they and their children are eating when on the go.

But they were criticised by a Rightwing think tank as “yet another example of the Government using a sledgehammer to fail to crack a nut”.

Officials said calorie labels, already widely available in supermarkets and in big chains including JD Wetherspoon and Subway, would “give families an informed choice over what they eat in restaurants, cafés and takeaways”.

A consultation will “look at applying the measure to online businesses that sell food or drink for takeaway or home delivery”. However, officials will look at whether “small businesses, street vendors and restaurants with fastchanging menus” could be exempt.

It comes days after The Daily Telegraph disclosed a Treasury warning that the plans were likely to be “burdensome” for small restaurants and could force price rises and job cuts.

Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “This is yet another example of the Government using a sledgehammer to fail to crack a nut.

“There does not seem to be a huge demand among consumers to ask about calorie count before ordering a meal or a bite to eat.

“Increasingly, those who are interested can find the information within seconds on an internet search. The Government seems increasingly obsessed with further adding to the red tape that afflicts British business.”