Mandatory calorie labelling in the out of home sector

Overview

On 10th September 2021, Scottish Government published their Out of Home (OOH) Action plan which included commitment to hold a public consultation on the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling in the out of home sector. 

The OOH sector in Scotland is defined as including:

• Cafes, all types of restaurants, takeaways, pubs/bars, vending machines, workplace canteens, hotels, leisure and entertainment venues.

• Supermarkets and convenience stores who provide “food on the go”

• Places where we purchase food when commuting or travelling.

• Manufacturers and suppliers of food and drink to the OOH sector

• Food delivery services, including online.

• OOH businesses in the public sector, including food provided for staff and visitors in health care settings.

• Any other venue or outlet that sells non-prepacked food ready for immediate consumption.

Calorie labelling means displaying the calorie value for non-pre-packed food and non-alcoholic drinks at the point of choice, for example, on menus, display boards, digital ordering terminals and online ordering apps. 

Why your views matter

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are undertaking a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) on this proposal.  The BRIA process will help to ensure the steps Scottish Government propose taking are proportionate and are likely to deliver beneficial outcomes. 

We’d like your help in gathering relevant information about your business in order to ensure that the BRIA costs and impacts are as accurate as possible and based on realistic circumstances.  The survey contains 20 short questions and closes on 10^th December.  We understand that the scope of the questions is wide and not all areas may be applicable to you. However, your views are very important to us in formulating this important policy so please complete the sections you can.

Please note that any information we receive may be subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.  The Act, which applies to the Scottish Government, provides that any person who requests information from a Scottish public authority which holds it, is entitled to be given that information by the authority. This right is subject to certain conditions and exemptions, which are set out in the Act.  This can include restricting the release of commercially sensitive information unless its release is in the public interest.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.