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Calorie counting New labelling laws require caterers to state the calorie content of their food from April.
NEW CALORIE LABELLING LAWS COME INTO FORCE IN APRIL
A new law comes into force in April requiring businesses with 250 or more employees to display the calorie content of their food and drink.
From 6th April 2022, caterers will be required by law to display the calorie content of their food. Following a consultation in 2018, the Government is now requiring large food businesses with 250 or more employees to comply with the new legislation. The law affects the entire ‘out of home’ food sector, covering all outlets where food or drink is prepared in a way that means it is ready for immediate consumption, on or off the premises.
The regulations require calorie information to be displayed at the point where a customer chooses what food to purchase, such as on menus and on labels next to food on display.
The Government says the new legislation is geared to making it easier for customers to make informed, healthier decisions when purchasing food out of the home but also to “encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options” for their customers.
Failure to comply with the Regulations may result in a food business being issued with an improvement notice while failure to comply with an improvement notice could lead to a £2,500 fi xed penalty being imposed.
The new rules will extend into the digital space and will cover food sold on a website or mobile app, including third party delivery apps. Where food is sold on a website or mobile app, the business responsible for that website or mobile app is required to display the calorie information of food offered for sale by any qualifying business.
Caterers selling via third-party delivery websites or apps will be required to provide calorie information to the website or app provider for all products listed for sale on the website or app.
For more information, visit www.gov.uk
NEW REQUIREMENTS:
Under the new regulations, from the 6th of April, caterers must:
l Clearly and legibly display the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal) l Reference the size of the portion to which the calorie information relates) l Display the statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcal a day’
INBRIEF
PERMANENT VAT CUT BENEFITS ‘UNDENIABLE
Many of the UK's largest hospitality and tourism bodies have joined forces to publish a study demonstrating that the benefi ts of permanent VAT reduction are "undeniable". The study states that a permanent cut would save the Government £4.6bn and create more than quarter of a million jobs over the next decade.
The British Beer and Pub Association, UKHospitality, the Tourism Alliance and the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions commissioned the report which states that a permanent rate of 12.5% VAT would bring VAT on hospitality and attractions in line with the European average. The 20% rate is nearly double the European average.
A permanent cut would create 286,850 jobs and generate £7.7bn of additional turnover over 10 years, says the report.
INDUSTRYNEWS
NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
Lumina Intelligence predicts significant growth in foodservice delivery in 2022.
PRICE CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS TO DRIVE DEMAND FOR DELIVERY IN 2022:
The UK foodservice delivery market grew by 6.5% in 2021 to a total value of £12.6bn and the market will grow by a further 5.3% in 2022 to reach £13.3bn, according to research and insight specialists Lumina Intelligence. The report states that the pandemic has helped accelerate growth in foodservice delivery and, despite restrictions easing, demand is not expected to wane in the coming years.
Reasons for choosing a particular establishment to order delivery from. Top 3 increases vs 2020
l good value for money (+2ppts) l Healthy food options (+2ppts) l Lots of choice (+1ppt)
Top 3 decreases from 2020
I've been there before (-4ppts) It's local and an indie (-3ppts) Quality of ingredients (-2ppts) By the end of 2022 Lumina predicts the market will have grown by £5.7bn since 2019 but warns that price consciousness will be the key reason in consumers choosing one outlet over another. While familiarity ('I've been there before') is the top need for customers, its importance has declined by 4%, while ‘it's good value for money’ has risen by a further 2%.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY URGES PROPERTY TAX REFORM
Industry body UKHospitality has urged the Government to act to address “the unfair burden of property tax on the hospitality sector.” The organisation highlighted how, in the decade before the pandemic, hospitality business rates rose by more than 58%, or £1bn.
UKHospitality says a hospitality tax rate is now “one of the changes needed that will be essential to aid recovery”. Among the measures needed to make the system fair for the sector, UKHospitality is proposing a hospitality multiplier for 2023 and an online sales tax to make up the loss of revenue from such a multiplier, an urgent investigation into whether the current pub valuation methodology is fit for purpose and better resourced pub valuations that take into account over-trading, the location of a property and historical changes.
UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls, said: “The hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and needs further support and reforms in order to be able to fully recover."
