Mandatory calorie labelling a ‘retrograde step’, warns UKHospitality

UKHospitality has warned that the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling would place “significant burdens” on Scottish hospitality businesses.

The warning follows recommendations by Food Standards Scotland to the Scottish Government to introduce mandatory labelling for all out-of-home food businesses.

UKHospitality executive director for Scotland Willie Macleod said while UKHopsitlity is “certainly supportive” of efforts to promote healthier attitudes to food and drink, with “many businesses” having already taken action, introducing mandatory labelling is potentially a “retrograde step”.

He said: “Introducing mandatory labelling is potentially a retrograde step that would cause significant problems for some businesses, particularly SMEs. Smaller businesses would likely struggle to cope with an inflexible one-size-fits-all approach.

“A blanket introduction of mandatory labelling would represent a considerable additional cost for businesses already facing tightening margins at a time of unprecedented political uncertainty. It would also represent a considerable burden for those venues that change their menus regularly, some on a daily basis, to incorporate locally sourced produce, seasonal ingredients and specials.”

He added: “Small and medium-sized businesses might also find their ability to innovate, particularly when tackling food waste, severely restricted. The end result is likely that prices would go up and investment would go down with much less choice for customers.

“Any mandatory policies that are introduced solely in Scotland will also cause inconsistencies and additional burdens for businesses that operate UK-wide. We need consistency in the rules to avoid unnecessary pressure and the potential for confusion.”