Calorie counts on menus ‘will cost food industry €110m per year’

Moves to force restaurants to display calorie counts on menus will cost the industry €110m a year, according to the Restaurant Association of Ireland.

The body made the claim as the Food Safety Authority launched MenuCal — an online calculator available free of charge to Ireland’s 22,000 food service businesses so that they can calculate the calorie values in the food they serve to customers.

While it is not obligatory yet for restaurants to place the calorie count on menus, RAI chief executive Adrian Cummins said any proposed legislation requiring this will cost each restaurant about €5,000 per year.