When it comes to our food, we are all ‘vulnerable’ consumers
Retailers and businesses that sell takeaway food in Oxfordshire were the focus of a recent project to ensure calorie claims on certain foods are accurate.
Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team recently tested 15 popular items from outlets around the county to ensure they complied with rules relating to accurate calorie labelling.
Foods assessed included salads, sandwiches and pizza, with the vast majority of samples (13) having accurate labelling.
Councillor Dr Nathan Ley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety, said: “The trading standards team has an exceptionally wide remit, but at its heart is helping to ensure customers are confident about the products they are purchasing, especially when it can have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
“This is just one small example of the team doing just that and helping to ensure that we can trust food standards and the claims made about the food we eat, from farm to fork.”
To be compliant, actual calorific content should be within 20 per cent of the claimed amount.
Two items were found to have inaccurate labelling, with the team and other local authorities working with both businesses to resolve the issues.
Jody Kerman, Head of Trading Standards at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “While the sample size on this occasion was relatively small, consumers should feel reassured about the high levels of compliance with this important requirement. Calorie labelling, whether on menus or on food packaging, is used by many to help make choices about the food they eat and they must have trust in the accuracy of these claims.”
Large food businesses such as restaurants, pubs, and cafes with 250 or more employees are required by law to inform customers of the calories in the food they offer, normally by displaying them on their menus.
Calorie information is required to be made available either in person or online before a purchase is made.
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