So it's official. From September all dining establishments are 'on plan' to encourage the public to change their eating habits by declaring health information including calories per dish, ingredients and perhaps even fat content. All this will be appetisingly displayed on the menu, right next to your seared scallops (good) or your foie gras and sour cherry terrine (Hello? What were you thinking?). Of course, it's not legislation (yet) but the government and the NHS would like to achieve the changes without such action and apparently 85% of us are in agreement, according to the Food Standards Authority, in that restaurants should make clear what's in their food.
It's all part of the swishy new 'public health responsibility deal', which in itself is no bad thing, but it sure ain't part of the Big Society, Dave. In fact, it rather smacks of nanny state-ism at its worst. If we can't be trusted to make 'healthier' choices when eating out, why then, we get smacked around the face with the information until we get the message – STEER CLEAR OF THE FRIED STUFF! Soon, no doubt there'll be sirens and police vans if someone orders chicken nuggets.
It's a serious point that poor diets in this country cost the NHS £4.5 billion and at this point in time, we should all take responsibility for our own health. However, most of us have a reasonably varied diet and make equally varied choices on where to eat, from a snatched cheeseburger or pasty at lunch to spaghetti and side salad at dinner – it's a balancing act most of us manage. And yet apparently 91% felt that being informed of nutritional information on a menu would influence their choice of establishment. . .does anyone else feel we won't be saying sayonara to the fast food chains any time soon?
As you might have guessed, chefs and independent restaurateurs are largely against it, perhaps because they feel their clientele are mostly right-thinking people with cash burning a hole in their pocket, and they think that the high street chains are where this information should be concentrated, particularly with regard to ingredient sourcing and fat content. But would it make you turn away from a favoured restaurant if you found out the calories were equal to the price?
Can we be trusted? Will this make the slightest bit of difference to those who start the day with an Egg McMuffin and finish it with a garlic-butter-stuffed-crust pizza? Would you stop ordering your favourite dish if it was high in calories? Do you think, if you're paying for the food, you want to know what's in it down to the last shake of the pepper pot or are you happy to trust in the chef and expect to be able to buy and eat what you want without pressure?
