Three key challenges food businesses are facing as they seek to comply with calorie labelling legislation

There are now less than two months until the new calorie labelling legislation comes into effect for food businesses in England.

From 6 April 2022, certain businesses in England will have to display the calorie content of the food they sell. It's part of the new legislation that was introduced in 2021 to tackle obesity. The initiative applies to large out-of-home food businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways with more than 250 employees.

Nutritics is currently the only company in the world to have been awarded the Gold Standard Recipe Calculation Accreditation by the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR). Nutritics is founder of the Calorie Labelling Business Resource, a content hub which provides expert information and support for businesses in the UK.

In this article we look at some of the main challenges that food businesses are facing as they seek to comply with new calorie labelling legislation. We also provide some potential solutions that will help businesses in their calorie labelling compliance journey.

1 Under-Resourced Businesses Struggling to Roll Out Changes

It's no secret that the hospitality sector has been severely impacted by the pandemic. With many businesses still under-resourced, some are finding it challenging to put the systems and processes in place that will help them comply with the legislation.

Many food operators are concerned that calorie labelling is simply generating an additional burden on their business. However, it's important to remember that studies have shown that businesses actually benefit from presenting calorie information to consumers by increasing customer loyalty, reducing food waste and increasing revenue.

To overcome the challenge of under-resourcing, we suggest engaging with industry experts who have experience in rolling out such changes for businesses of all sizes. While many believe that rolling out digital menus and calorie labelling is a massive undertaking, it can be a very simple and straight-forward process when you engage with a calorie labelling expert.

2 Lack of Expertise in the Field of Calorie Labelling

For many businesses, calorie labelling is a brand new concept and new challenge to overcome. Without the correct expertise it can be very difficult to roll out systems which essentially touch all corners of the organisation and fundamentally change the way a business operates.

To fill this education gap, we again suggest working with a calorie labelling partner who will help break the entire roll out into manageable chunks. From experience we find the best approach to focus on four key areas: supplier management, recipe analysis and menu development, and staff training.

In practice, an organisation would first audit all stock and products, making a list of suppliers. They would then look at their current software solutions and consider whether or not they need to invest in food and menu labelling solutions. Automated solutions make time-consuming analysis much more efficient. Finally, it's vital that food businesses integrate calorie labelling training across their entire food production process.

3 Uncertainty Over Which Businesses are Impacted by the Legislation

A key pain point for food businesses, and something we are still seeing a lot of, is uncertainty over whether or not your organisation is even impacted by the new legislation. With less than two months until the new calorie labelling legislation comes into place, we are still fielding a lot of questions on this matter.

The new legislation applies to large out-of-home food businesses, including restaurants, cafés and takeaways with more than 250 employees. However, there are several exemptions that seem to be causing a lot of confusion.

For example, below is a list of certain businesses that can be exempt from the law:

• Educational institutions for those over 18 years old;
• Military establishments;
• Criminal justice accommodation;
• Hospitals or other medical institutions;
• Care homes or other institutions providing social care;
• Canteens at a workplace providing food to employees.

Note: Business exemptions do not apply if the institute in question has their catering provided by an external catering company within the scope of the Regulations. As well as businesses, there are also certain foods and situations that qualify for exemption.

Take the first step

When it comes to exemptions our best advice, and a great first step for your business to take, is to reach out to our labelling experts. They can confirm whether or not the new legislation applies to your business. Together you will outline next steps on how to adapt your business to the new calorie labelling legislation.

Schedule a FREE BUSINESS CONSULTATION today.