Mandatory Calorie Labelling in the Out of Home sector - OAS Position Statement (September 2022)

For mandatory calorie labelling to be effective, equitable, and fair it has to apply to all businesses equally. For micro, small and medium sized businesses, there needs to be adequate support, advice and guidance provided to enable these businesses to implement calorie labelling.

The out of home sector contributes a significant proportion of daily calories consumed, and almost all people in Scotland have eaten out in the last year.

Provision of calorie information on menus and at points of sale should be the default option. Menus without calorie information should be available for consumers who request them.

Mandatory calorie labelling in an effective policy as it can help consumers reduce their calorie intake, by providing calorie information at the point of choice. It can also encourage businesses to reformulate the products they sell, to contain less calories and make them healthier.