Thursday 17 November 2011

Out of Home Calorie Labelling

Did you know?
  1 in 6 meals is eaten outside of the home and is estimated to contribute 20% and 25% of energy intake for adult women and men respectively.
  The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data shows us that nearly 1 in 4 adults (age 16 and over) are obese.
  Some foods and drinks provide more energy than people think.
A wide range of organisations have signed up to the commitment of providing calorie information for food and non alcoholic drink for customers in out of home settings from 1 September 2011. Out of Home Calorie (OOH) Labelling is intended to inform and empower people to make healthier choices, and to encourage OOH food businesses to make healthier options more available.
This is in accordance with the principles for calorie labeling agreed by the Responsibility Deal which supplements government action. Organisations involved in this include industry (retailers, manufacturers, hospitality), NGO’s (public health bodies, civil society groups) and policymakers.
The aim is to increase the impact of public health goals through greater use of business influence and ability to engage with consumers.
There are five different networks within the Responsibility Deal. These include:
  1. Food
  2. Alcohol           
  3. Physical Activity
  4. Health at Work
  5. Behaviour Change

Specifically within the food network, the four key areas are:
  • People - information to consumers
  • Product - content of food
  • Place - improving the availability of healthy food
  • Promotions - promotion of healthier food choices
 
For more information about the OOH scheme download the PowerPoint presentation from our website here: http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/Sheet.aspx?siteId=19&sectionId=81&contentId=275