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IF YOU NOSH on a breaded chicken roll often, you might not want to know how many calories are in it.
But that’s what is in store as Ireland gears up for the introduction of mandatory posting of calories on menus. Some restaurants already do this, but the move means that all restaurants will have to comply.
The latest step in the process was this week’s announcement by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) of a national consultation by the Department of Health to seek views on the legislation.
The consultation is based on the Government’s proposed Health & Wellbeing Bill, which will apply to non pre-packaged food served by food businesses for immediate consumption on or off the premises.
The consultation involves an online questionnaire on the FSAI’s website, which is open until 28 October 2015.
The push behind the move is the loosening of belts around the country – a new ‘health of the nation’ survey published this week showed that 60% of the Irish public is either overweight or obese.
As the FSAI explained:
The Department of Health wants to hear what people think on some specific things:
Under the proposed bill, food business operators will be required to display energy content of loose food for sale.
What’s loose food? It is “non-pre-packaged food (ready for consumption on or off the premises”. This means it’s not a head of cabbage, but that roll you buy at a deli.
There will be an enforcement plan for the legislation, which will include “a schedule of inspection, monitoring, sampling and penalties for non-compliance”.
There has been a mixed reaction to the news. Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association of Ireland described the situation as the “Irish Water for the Irish food industry”.
The RAI is opposed to the changes, with Cummins saying it has the industry “up in arms”. He said it won’t be implementable, and that “no creativity is being allowed for chefs”.
In a statement, the RAI said:
The RAI fully appreciates the importance of the work being undertaken by the Department of Health and the Special Action Group on Obesity. The RAI recognises the current need to address the area of obesity in Ireland. Recent Budget submissions by the RAI (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) have repeatedly called for the establishment of a nutrition and healthy eating in the Primary and Secondary School syllabi.
The Association is “firmly of the belief” that education on calories and nutrition would be the best policy direction rather than legislation on calories.
The RAI also said that the Irish restaurant industry is “fully committed in helping to tackle to growing obesity problem in Ireland” and has engaged in various initiatives to promote healthy eating and fresh Irish produce, including the Happy Hearts eat out campaign, and Kids Size Me.
The main reasons why it is opposed to calories on menus are the cost – which it estimates to be between €5,000 and €10,000 per establishment; that nutritional labelling has been in Ireland for years but the country’s collective weight is increasing; and the move will cost the state “tens of millions of euros” to implement.
The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), is calling for the calories-on-menus scheme to remain voluntary for hotels and guesthouses.
The IHF will say in its consultation that it is “concerned about the potential adoption of an indiscriminate ‘one size fits all’ approach to mandatory calorie labelling”.
It believes this “would be inappropriate for hotels and guesthouses, many of whose menus change on a daily basis reflecting the use of locally sourced produce and seasonally available ingredients”.
While the scheme would be appropriate for certain food service establishments, it would be unworkable for many IHF members and would stifle creativity in food businesses that are not part of the underlying health issue.
Senator Catherine Noone is one of those who believes calories on menus would be a good idea – but she is aware it might not be easy for everyone to implement.
She thinks it is ideal for “the ones who have a regular menu where it is quite easy for them to [calculate calories]“.
Noone said that she agrees it “is more difficult for restaurants who change their menus every day”, and suggested “there should be some leeway perhaps in those circumstances”.
Noone is motivated by Ireland’s waistlines. “I think a lot of people don’t realise how many calories are in the foods they’re eating,” she pointed out.
It’s very basic. I think by highlighting it you’re simply making people more informed in the choice of foods they eat.
“I think any measure that makes people more informed and gives people a greater idea [of calories] is good,” she added.
What about if people choose to ignore calorie counts? “At the end of the day, if there are 1000 or 2000 calories in a meal, at least they know. It’s giving people a bit of help.”
What do you think of calories on menus? Tell us in the comments.
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“Give me unlimited power” but you don’t get to know what power I get until I have it
@Adam Rekio: They can hide from their incompetence behind these laws. Restrict peoples freedoms and make it seem like they’re doing a good job, but in reality they’re doing nothing to improve things in any sector that its needed for people to be able to “live with covid”. They’ve also now got people in to such a fearful state that the majority are willing to freely give up those freedoms and not ask questions. It has taken long enough for the opposition to start to ask these types of questions, I wonder will they be labelled anti-vaxxers now?!
@bob hope: whist or you’ll have the ‘what freedoms have we given up’ brigade then be laballed an anti vaxer for voicing an opinion that offends them as they do not want to acknowledge what is happening in front of their very eyes.
@Hear me now: Baa baa black sheep have you any wool!
It’s all about keeping control folks
@Maurice O Neill: can you expand?
@Paul Clancy: Join the dots yourself Einstein
@James Daly: all we ever hear is “it’s about control” no one has ever said exactly how. Simple one liners are the bread and butter of conspiracy theorist.
@Paul Clancy: I’m not helping you Paul. You’ll have to join the dots by yourself.
The emergency powers should have been phased out months ago. The vaccine uptake has been great. It’s ridiculous that these powers need to be extended again and again. Time to just live with Covid for everyone, vaccinated and non vaccinated. Its been two years.
Donnelly is so incompetent giving him free reign does seem a bit much….
Does no one else see how odd this is ? This makes no sense at all.
@Bobby Jones: Odd that it’s taken them so long to start asking questions about the violation of people’s civil liberties?
It almost like some crazy tin foil hat conspiracy theory that was only recently being ridiculed, just came to life…
@David Van-Standen: Next they will have to stop general elections as it could spread covid
@Adam Rekio: there’s a reason there hasn’t been election in quite some time.
@neuromancer: since last year,you mean?
@Adam Rekio: not possible to stop them.
I think we’re going down the wrong road with this. This is dangerous. There are precedents being set here. Under no circumstances should any elected official have powers that are not open to scrutiny. It only takes one headbanger to abuse these powers and you’re living in tyranny where discrimination and coercion are the norm. Minorities will be isolated and redeculed. Bodily integrity will become meaningless.Your freedom of choice will be out the window. Who wants to live in a world like that.
@James Daly: have an old read of the constitution. You’re some man for scare mongering.
@Paul Clancy: sure the constitution gives you your fundimental rights but, and big but.. Fundamental rights are not absolute – they can be limited or restricted by the Oireachtas for certain reasons, for example, for the common good or public order. Then all bets are off. The safeguards against headbangers like Donnelly abusing his position in such instances are debate and scrutiny. Exactly what he doesn’t want to happen. Wonder why?
Donnelly is like a dog with two knobs at this stage…. Too much control for one TD to hold and that’s the problem with this whole Covid crapola show is for all parties to work together to find solutions not just the ones that hold the house….
How has it taken two years for opposing TD’s to start asking the right questions. The mind boggles how we have people out there that are “fully vaccinated “and are supporting these restrictions. These are the types of klowns that start their comments with “ I’ve had my two jabs and I’m getting my booster on Wednesday “
Smacking of arrogance as this undoubtedly does and desirable as it would be to have Dáil scrutiny would it make any difference to the outcome? Most T.D.’s are terrified of speaking out in any meaningful way against these emergency powers in case they’re labelled ‘anti-science’ or of playing politics with people’s health and lives. It’s a very easy stick to beat them with. It would definitely be interesting though to see how it would go…
@William Tallon: Any decision any government makes should be open to scrutiny, and any resistance to that scrutiny should set more alarm bells ringing than the decisions themselves. TDs are only people who are in the position they’re in because of people who voted them in to the position. Some people go on like they’re gods who must be obeyed at all costs!
@bob hope: Not all Government decisions are open to scrutiny though. Article 28.4 of the Constitution states “The confidentiality of discussions at meetings of the Government shall be respected in all circumstances save only where the High Court determines that disclosure should be made in respect of a particular matter…” I think this is a principle most democratic governments subscribe to and probably for good reason in many cases. That doesn’t mean by the way I don’t favour more transparency…
@William Tallon: That states Government discussions, and not decisions. Regardless this would be superceded by our own constitutional rights and civil liberties, hence the reason why things like this need to be backed by a majority in a vote by TDs and other levels, and hence the argument at hand. They also need to be signed off by the President, who only recently raised a concern about some of the things being pushed through by this government without the time for proper scrutiny. Without a doubt trying to take advantage of the situation as it is and the penny ot seems is only starting to drop in certain quarters!
@bob hope: Discussions are a prerequisite for decisions so if you want to scrutinise Government decisions you’ll need to know how they were arrived at which would mean having access to those Cabinet level discussions and that is precluded by the Constitution. So far as I can tell there is no other provision in the Constitution that grants the individual the right to supersede this provision. I’d be interested to know if you’re aware of such a provision though.
@William Tallon: It’s one of the main principles of democracy, so will always supercede any decisions that go against that principle. I wouldn’t have thought that would need an explanation?
“Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said to have debate and scrutiny on the emergency legislation would more or less take 33 weeks, six hours a day, three days a week.” – I don’t see how it would take that long. I liked Donnelly when he was an SD, I was skeptical when he jumped ship to FF but decided I would give him a chance, he’s had his chance now and has proved to be useless and a hypocrite
Where was Alan Kelly from Labour in this debate? No word from him about democracy and Civil Rights?
If there is hope it lies in the proles.
Paradoxical that
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