# Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2022

Canonical: https://paddl-ai.co/regulations/calorie-labelling-regulations-2022

Learn about the Calorie Labelling Regulations 2022, which require large food businesses in England with 250+ employees to display calorie information on menus.

Effective: 2022-04-06
Enforced by: Local Authority Trading Standards
Applies to: Food businesses with 250 or more employees, Large restaurant and cafe chains, Large takeaway chains, Large hotel chains, Contract caterers for large businesses

The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 6 April 2022. They require food businesses in England with 250 or more employees to display calorie information for food and non-alcoholic drinks at the point of choice. This applies to food prepared for immediate consumption at restaurants, cafes, takeaways, and similar outlets, as well as food delivered to customers. The regulations do not currently apply to businesses with fewer than 250 employees, although the government encourages smaller businesses to provide calorie information voluntarily. Calorie information must be displayed on physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms, and food labels. The aim is to help consumers make more informed choices about the food they eat.

## Key requirements

- **Display calories at the point of choice** Calorie information in kilocalories (kcal) must be displayed for each food item at the point where the customer chooses their food. This includes menus, menu boards, online ordering, and delivery platforms.
- **Applies to businesses with 250+ employees** Only businesses with 250 or more employees in England are currently required to comply. Employee count includes all employees across the entire business, not just those at a single location.
- **Statement about daily calorie intake** A statement that adults need around 2,000 kcal per day must be displayed alongside the calorie information.
- **Applies to food and non-alcoholic drinks** Calorie labelling is required for both food and non-alcoholic drinks that are prepared for immediate consumption. Alcoholic drinks are currently exempt.

## What a business has to do

1. **Calculate calories for every menu item** Work out the calorie content per portion for every food and non-alcoholic drink item on your menu. Keep calculation records.
2. **Display on menus and menu boards** Add calorie counts next to each item on physical menus, digital menu boards, and any other point-of-choice displays.
3. **Update online and delivery platforms** Ensure calorie information appears on your website menu, app, and on third-party delivery platforms.
4. **Include the reference intake statement** Display the statement "Adults need around 2,000 kcal a day" prominently alongside your menu calorie information.

## Penalties

| Offence | Penalty |
| --- | --- |
| Failure to display calorie information | Trading Standards can issue improvement notices. Persistent non-compliance can result in prosecution with an unlimited fine. |
| Displaying inaccurate calorie information | May constitute a misleading food description. Prosecution under consumer protection legislation with an unlimited fine. |
| Failure to include reference intake statement | Improvement notice from Trading Standards, with potential prosecution for persistent non-compliance. |

## Questions

**Does this apply to my small restaurant?**

If your business has fewer than 250 employees, these regulations do not currently apply to you. However, the government encourages voluntary provision of calorie information and may extend the requirement to smaller businesses in the future.

**Do I need to display calories for alcoholic drinks?**

No, alcoholic drinks are currently exempt from the calorie labelling requirements. However, non-alcoholic cocktails, soft drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages are covered.

**How accurate do calorie counts need to be?**

Calorie information should be as accurate as reasonably possible. There is an accepted tolerance of plus or minus 20 per cent. You should use reliable methods such as nutritional analysis or calculation from ingredient data.