Calorie 'cap' on meals sold in restaurants and supermarkets eyed
Public Health England said the measures were needed to fight Britain’s obesity crisis.
Pizzas, pies, ready meals and sandwiches might possiblly shrink or be reformulated due to Government plans to cap the calories in thousands of meals sold in restaurants and supermarkets.
Draft proposal recommend, for example, that a standard pizza for one person should contain no more than 928 calories whilst savoury pie should contain no more than 695 calories.
Public Health England said the plans will see recommended limits on thousands of regularly consumed food. Their proposal comes as rates of severe obesity among children have risen by more than a third in just over a decade.
UKHospitality welcomes efforts to promote healthier eating habits, but says that 'freedom of choice' must remain key to the consumer experience.
"As we stated earlier this year, the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling on menus would likely have a damaging effect – resulting in prices going up for customers and investment in businesses going down; inevitably negatively impacting the overall consumer experience," UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said.
"The new proposal to shrink the size of dishes and cap calories will be yet another burden for operators, and a measure that will ultimately lead to additional costs for many hospitality businesses, as acknowledged by the Treasury."
Nicholls also stressed that the hospitality sector "can be the future of the UK high street", provided with "correct" support from government.
"Lessening of financial burdens and easing of regulatory issues will help hospitality deliver even more jobs and investment in communities. Conversely, if businesses continue to be squeezed, much of the good work they have already done may be lost,” she added.
