Restaurants to Publish Calorie Content on All Menus

Following a similar initiative in New York, the British government is pushing for a law that will force restaurants, takeaways and fast-food joints to publish the calorie content of all dishes on the menus. The move, it is believed, will contribute to a decrease in the daily calorie intake by providing customers with complete information on what it is that they’re ordering.

As a rule, the recommended daily calorie intake is of 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women. However, given the incredible popularity fast food establishings are enjoying right now, not few are the times when this threshold is crossed in just one sitting. The initiative, aside from making the calorie count known to all customers, will also provide further nutritional information, so that, when the order is placed, what that meal will do to one’s body and health is well-known.

“The FSA [Food Standards Agency] held talks with food chains, pub companies and caterers to seek firms willing to introduce the scheme by the summer. It is thought that Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Pret A Manger, Subway, and Yo! Sushi will be among the first to adopt it.” writes the Daily Mail, pointing out that all signs are favorable for a summer start. 

Several voices are already being heard complaining about how such a move would not only imply higher costs at a time when this is precisely what should be avoided, but also put an extra strain on smaller establishments that are struggling for survival as it is, and which would certainly not be able to live up to the new standards. Meanwhile, the FSA is working hard to convince both representatives of the food industry and the public that the plan would only bring more freedom to the customer, and not the other way around as it is being speculated right now.

“There is no good reason why people should not be able to come to the same conclusion when they are standing in front of a sandwich counter or in a fast food outlet.” FSA Chief Executive Tim Smith told the media. At the same time, he explained that this could also determine TV chefs, the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson, both very popular in the UK, to set a good example as they are supposed to. “I wince every time I see the amount of [salt] seasoning that they suggest is normal,” he said.