Mixed reaction from restaurants to plan to show calorie content on menus

RESTAURANT AND fast-food operators have given a mixed reaction to plans by Minister for Health James Reilly requiring them to display the calorie content of the foods they sell.

Taking his cue from US president Barack Obama, who has signed calorie posting into federal law, Dr Reilly wants restaurants and coffee shops to display the calorie content per portion beside the price on the menu board and in the same colour and font.

The initiative, designed to tackle the spread of obesity, is aimed at encouraging consumers to opt for lower-calorie choices.

More than 5,000 Irish people die each year from the effects of being overweight or obese.

Most of the large fast-food chains that responded to a letter sent by the Minister last year welcomed his proposals, according to the submissions obtained by The Irish Times under freedom of information legislation.

However, some said they could not afford to introduce it, while others sought a meeting with the Minister to discuss particular concerns.

The Department of Health said Dr Reilly would decide on the next steps to take when he received the results of a consultation on the issue being carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland, which has already criticised the Minister’s proposals, has asked for a meeting with him over the “numerous issues” raised by its members. Top-end eateries in particular have complained of the cost of counting the calories of meal choices that change every day.

Irish-owned burger chain Supermac’s said it had “certain concerns” about the proposal but would give it due consideration in the coming months. It called on the Minister to include other elements in the campaign to tackle obesity, such as educating young people.

Takeaway chain Bombay Pantry said it was not in a position to make the changes because of the large cost involved in measuring the nutritional content of menu items. It suggested a meeting if Dr Reilly was prepared to provide financial support for this work.

A similar line was taken by Carroll Food Services, which asked the department to provide a “cost-free template” for introducing the change.

Aramark/Campbell Catering also stressed the amount of preparatory work involved in reviewing recipes and training staff. However, it said it supported the initiative and planned to provide calorie information in the near future.

Four Star Pizza and O’Brien’s sandwiches welcomed the Minister’s proposals, while Insomnia said calorie posting had already been introduced in its coffee shops.

Domino’s Pizza is to put calorie information on its website, where 50 per cent of its business is done. The company argued that this was the most suitable place for the information to appear because few orders are placed in-store.

KFC promised calorie posting would be introduced in its fried chicken restaurants and said it was reformulating products to provide broader choice. The chain claims to have cut salt by half and saturated fat by 25 per cent on some items. It has also introduced its first non-fried range of products.

Sodexo is committed to introducing calorie posting “wherever possible” in its 220 canteens and restaurants in Ireland. However, the company said it would not be able to commit to providing the information for all dishes because the menu changes daily.

McDonald’s, Burger King and Kylemore Services Group sought a meeting to discuss the Minister’s proposals, while Eddie Rocket’s asked the Minister for “step-by-step guidelines” on how to proceed because it was unsure whether to use UK or US standards.

Dr Reilly wrote to 19 fast-food chains last October seeking their support for calorie posting on menu boards.

He acknowledged that the problem of obesity was a complex issue with many causes and that no single initiative would reverse the “alarming” rise in weight issues.