Michael Healy-Rae
Question:224. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding calorie counts in restaurants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7125/14]
View answerWednesday, 12 February 2014
Questions (224)
Written answers
There are no current plans to introduce legislation in this area. As Minister for Health, I set up a Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO), comprising representatives from the Department of Health, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and safefood to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of obesity. Voluntary calorie-posting in restaurants is just one of SAGO's various initiatives, amongst others, to assist halting the rising levels of overweight and obesity.
I previously wrote to a range of Businesses - Food Fast Food Outlets, Coffee Shop Chains and Catering Companies requesting that they put calories on menus. The most recent survey showed that 76% of fast-food outlets have put calorie menu labelling in place and this represents 410 individual outlets nationally. 50% of Coffee Shop Chains have put calorie menu labelling in place and this represents 92 individual coffee shops nationally. 43% of Catering Companies have put calorie menu labelling in place and this represents 320 individual catering companies who serve on average 170,000 meals per day.
Smaller/individual eating establishments indicated that they needed some support in introducing the scheme and a calorie counter software tool is being developed by the FSAI and is currently being finalised. As 95% of the public would like to see calories on menus, once this tool is available and the food businesses have had adequate time to use the software tool and put calorie menu labelling in place, the Department of Health will review the operation of the calorie menu labelling scheme.