Response 1013902032

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Questions

Question 1. Should mandatory calorie labelling at point of choice, for example, menus, menu boards or digital ordering apps in the Out of Home sector (as listed in paragraph 1.2) in Scotland be implemented?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don't know
Please explain your answer
Triggering for those with weight issues, mental health issues. Surely there could be an alternative option where you could access this information if you really wanted it, without HAVING to see it on the menu.

Question 2. Should any of the sectors listed in paragraph 1.2 be exempt from mandatory calorie labelling? If yes, please explain why.

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don't know
Please explain your answer
All - it shouldn’t be mandatory for anyone. Stress and burden on businesses. Stress and burden on local authorities and those trying to enforce. No powers to enforce if it’s not adhered to, so is it the best use of government time and resource for tackling obesity.

Question 3. To which size of business in scope of the policy, should mandatory calorie labelling apply:

Please select all that apply
All businesses
All except businesses with fewer than 10 employees (micro)
All except businesses with fewer than 50 employees (small and micro)
All except businesses with fewer than 250 employees (medium, small and micro)
None
Other
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
As above. Against the proposal.

Question 4 . We are considering including food provided for residents and/or patients within the following public sector institutions within the scope of the policy. Should food in these settings be included within the scope of the policy?

Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Please explain your answers
The no options are unavailable to me for all but hospitals.

I don’t think the calories should be on the menus for any of these settings. But the information should be available elsewhere, e.g. online or upon request, if desired. But should not be provided to everyone without their consent.

Question 5 . The intention is that pre packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods would fall within the scope of the policy. Do you agree with that proposal?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
As above, calorie labelling should be optional

Question 6 . Should the foods and drinks listed below be exempt from calorie labelling? (please state your view for each of the above)

Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Please explain your answer
All should be exempt from mandatory calorie labelling

Question 7 . Should menus marketed specifically at children be exempt from calorie labelling?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
Absolutely.

Question 8. Should businesses be required to provide calorie information about options on children’s menus to parents and carers on request?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
Available on request in reasonable but should not be readily printed on the menu

Question 9. What are your views on the proposed requirements shown below for the display of calorie information?

Calorie information should be provided at all points of choice
It should be available for those who actively want to seek it but should not be openly printed on all menus/labels/packaging
Calorie information should be displayed in the same font and size as the price
No - should not be displayed
Calorie information should be provided in calorie only and not also kilojoule
Should not be displayed at all
Calorie information should include the reference statement of “adults need around 2,000 calories a day”
No - such a generalised recommendation not taking into account activity level, age, health.

Question 10. Should businesses be required or provide the option to have menus without calorie information available on request of the consumer?

Please select one item
It should be a requirement for businesses
It should be an option for businesses
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
It should be an option. The default should be menus without calories on them with calorie information available on request but not public ally advertised

Question 11. If businesses are required to also have menus without calorie information available on request of the consumer, what practical implications would this have for businesses?

Please give us your views
Shouldn’t cause additional costs and this is how most menus are at the moment. Significant (and unnecessary) costs would be incurred by introducing mandatory calorie labelling. Businesses are already struggling to adjust post COVID, why add a greater burden that the public do not want?

Question 12. What other mitigated measures could be adopted for consumers who may find calorie information upsetting?

Please give us your views
Don’t make calorie labelling mandatory.
Just make it available on request if specifically required.

Question 13 . Please list any costs to businesses in addition to those listed that you think need to be considered in our economic evaluation.

Please give us your views
Website updates, social media updates, payment for testing/analysis of food and menu items to generate the data, cost of training staff on new procedures

Question 15 . From the publication of relevant guidance, what length of time would businesses need to prepare to implement calorie labelling effectively ahead of legislation coming into force?

Please select one item
6 months
12 months
18 months
2 years
Other
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
If it were to come into force a minimum of 24 months would be required to recover from impact of COVID

Questions

Question 16. Please comment on our proposals for enforcement and implementation outlined in section 10.

Please give us your views
Local authorities are literally on their knees with no resource and no new EHOs coming into the profession so why add yet another burden to the spinning plates?

Question 17 . How could any requirements be enforced, in a way that is fair and not overly burdensome?

Please give us your views
Should be an optional recommendation not requiring enforcement

Question 18 . What impacts, if any, do you think the proposed policy would have on people on the basis of their: age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, disability, gender reassignment and marriage/civil partnership? Please consider both potentially positive and negative impacts and provide evidence where available. Comment on each characteristic individually.

Please give us your views
Negative impact on ethnic groups that consume higher calorie foods, negative impact on children/young adolescents by introducing awareness of calorie counting and giving it false importante without educational context of different calories types e.g. 100 calories of protein vs 100 calories of carbohydrates with sugars

Question 19. What impacts, if any, do you think the proposed policy would have on people living with socio-economic disadvantage? Please consider both potentially positive and negative impacts and provide evidence where available.

Please give us your views
Negative. Those living in lower socio-economic areas may only have access to restaurants/catering establishments that serve higher calorie foods. Mandatory calorie labelling may induce guilt on parents that cannot afford to travel to another establishment that provides lower calorie food

Question 20 . Please use this space to identify other communities or population groups who you consider may be differentially impacted by this policy proposal. Please consider both potentially positive and negative impacts and provide evidence where available.

Please give us your views
Those with low socioeconomic status, those with eating disorders, mental health issues, money issues, disabilities, those in care homes, prisons, and other institutions where they would not be able to get away from mandatory calorie labelling out of choice.

Question 21 . Please tell us about any other potential unintended consequences (positive or negative) to businesses, consumers or others you consider may arise from the proposals set out in this consultation.

Please give us your views
Main one is additional local authority burden having to enforce this.

About you

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