UK Hospitality (UKH) and the Portman Group has voiced serious concern in relation to reported plans for licensed premises to label calorie count on beers, wine and spirits (BWS), with the Department of Health considering a consultation on plans to mandate any business with 250 or more employees to display calorie labels.
If true, the proposals were “absurd” at a time when pubs and other hospitality businesses were struggling to survive, said Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKH.
“The last thing the sector needs after prolonged periods of forced closure is unnecessary red tape that creates yet more burdens for operators, who are simply desperate to get back to running their businesses,” she said.
Adding that the labelling of food and drink was a “complex area”, Nicholls urged the government to work closely with the industry on “workable solutions” that strike a balance between meeting public health objectives and not creating additional business burdens.
Meanwhile, The Portman Group said “very concerned” about plans for a new set of mandatory regulations.
“The industry, particularly small businesses, has been hit very hard by Covid-19 and can ill afford the further financial burden of costly mandatory labelling changes,” said CEO Matt Lambert.
“We are committed to working in partnership with the government. Over the past two decades there has been a significant decline in binge-drinking, alcohol-related violence, drink-driving and underage drinking.
“We have shown time and time again that the voluntary approach works. It will deliver the result we all want to see, faster, more effectively and without extra costs to a sector is already struggling due to the necessary closure of hospitality,” he said.