The new rules, which apply in England only, require large businesses with more than 250 staff to display calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drink items, whether consumed on or off the premises.
Businesses must display two key messages: the energy content of the food in kilocalories (kcal) with reference to the portion size to which the calorie information relates and needs a statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcal a day.’ This information can be provided on a label or menu either next to, or in close proximity to, the item.
In response to the new regulations Country Choice has amended its printer labels, adding the calorie information, serving sizes, and needs statement under the ingredients and descriptor. The plain 40mm and 80mm shelf-edge labels also now carry the relevant messages, prominently displayed alongside the usual information.
The company’s menu templates have also been updated to include calorie content per serving size beneath each item. All new, compliant labelling and packaging will be distributed from early March, ready for the April changeover.
Phil Carratt, head of marketing at Country Choice, said: “The new regulations, instigated as part of the Government’s drive to tackle obesity by helping the public to make healthier choices when eating out, have the potential to create a lot of extra work for our customers.
“Our labelling solutions, which will be rolled out in plenty of time for the changes, have tackled the requirements head on and made it easy for our customers to comply with the rules in the simplest and quickest way possible.”
For more information on the Country Choice labelling initiative, or for details of items in the company’s extensive range, call 0344 892 0399, or visit www.countrychoice.co.uk.