Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory calorie labelling on menus on (a) eating habits and (b) measures of health beyond calorie intake.

Legislation requires large businesses in England, those with 250 or more employees, to display calorie information on non-prepacked food and soft drinks.

The policy aims to support consumers to improve eating habits by making healthier choices for themselves and their families when eating out or getting a takeaway, with clear information about the calorie content of potential purchases.  The policy may also impact measures of health beyond calorie intake by encouraging businesses to reformulate and provide lower calorie options, helping to create a healthier food environment.

The published impact assessment estimated that by lowering calorie consumption amongst people living with overweight or obesity, the policy would produce NHS savings of £430 million and social care savings of £477 million over 25 years.

We continue to evaluate the impact of the Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations and will publish a post-implementation review within five years of implementation which will consider the effectiveness and impact of the policy.