Cabinet approves plan for calories to be printed on menus

The Cabinet has approved proposals which will see calories being printed on menus.

The law will require restaurants, take-aways and all-food service outlets to post the information alongside the price for all items offered on their menus.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said he is concerned about levels of obesity and giving calories on menus is a simple but effective way of encouraging people to choose a healthier option.

“I am very concerned about levels of overweight and obesity in Ireland. Latest figures indicate that nearly two out of every three adults, and one in four children, are overweight or obese," Minister Varadkar said.

"This presents real risks for health and wellbeing and causes a high percentage of many of the chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

"Giving calorie details on menus is a very simple but effective way of encouraging people to choose a healthier option. Food options can be deceptive. Some salads contain more calories than a burger meal.

"But if we make the information clearly available, at the very least people can make an informed choice. It won’t work in every case but it’s a powerful tool which has proved very effective in the US."

Drafting of calorie posting legislation will start immediately and are likely be ready for enactment in 2016.

However, The Restaurants Association of Ireland said it will cost businesses €5,000 to prepare the calorie information.

"How does the government propose that this will be monitored? Will inspectors be paid to eat out in all of Ireland's 22,000 food outlets and check if each menu has calorie counts on them?" said RAI chief executive, Adrian Cummins.

"Any chef will tell you that menus in restaurants vary from day-to-day and therefore calorie counting would be highly inaccurate anyway."