US restaurant industry close to mandatory calorie menu displays

US President Barack Obama is due to sign the Healthcare Reform Bill today, which contains legislation that would force restaurant chains with over 20 sites to display a range of nutritional information on their menus, including calories. It will then go onto the Senate who will decide by a vote whether to pass it.

The move has been welcomed by the country’s National Restaurant Association (NRA), which claims the law would create a uniform standard for restaurant chains.

Dawn Sweeney, chief executive of the NRA, said: “The passage of this provision is a win for consumers and restaurateurs. We know the importance of providing consumers with the information they want and need, no matter in which part of the country they are dining. This legislation will replace a growing patchwork of varying state and local regulations with one consistent national standard that helps consumers make choices that are best for themselves and their families.”

Opposition to calorie-labelling in UK​

The news comes as the Food Standards Agency (FSA) finishes consulting the UK restaurant industry on calorie counted menus this month, the results of which will be published later this summer.

However, the UK restaurant industry so far has not been as welcoming as its US counterpart, with concern expressed for how a similar scheme might affect smaller operations

Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said: “We believe that calorie counted menus for independent restaurants will cause considerable problems and will be costly in terms of time and expertise required. The FSA has said that any scheme that it introduces will be voluntary - though we are concerned that voluntary schemes do have a habit of becoming statutory eventually.”

Restaurant industry speaks out​

Earlier this month, Yo! Sushi business development manager Alison Vickers questioned whether calorie counts had a place on restaurant menus at all, at a Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum.

“Restaurants are about a sense of fun and occasion, I’m not sure having the calorie count of what you’re eating thrust at you fits in with that,” she said.

Earlier this year, the Conservative party published plans to promote the display of consistent nutritional information in restaurants with more than 15 outlets, but neglected to say whether such a scheme would be mandatory.