The Scottish government will be delaying its planned implementation of mandatory calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector following a consultation.
The consultation received 660 responses and the majority of respondents opposed the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling.
Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, told a meeting of parliament: “We are committed to assessing the impact of our policies and are reflecting on all the responses that have been gathered, including the views of people who are affected by eating disorders.
“We wish to have further discussions with the hospitality sector before taking a decision to proceed with the measure. Therefore, I believe that we should pause before making a final decision on the next steps in relation to mandating calorie labelling.”
In response, UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson, said: “With customer preference on this issue incredibly variable and a lack of evidence that calorie labelling makes a meaningful difference, it’s no surprise that the vast majority are opposed to its introduction.
“I would urge the Scottish government to permanently drop this policy and focus on reducing red-tape for businesses, not increasing it.”
