Dr. Eddie Murphy:

This takes us to our sixth from seven points, the Count Me In campaign. We began this three years ago when we saw how it was working in America. It is very simple. Beside the price on a menu one can see the calories in an item. With food chains, it gives people the chance to make informed decisions about what they are buying. Right now, somebody is buying a muffin but that person has no idea that the item contains a quarter of their recommended food intake for the day.

The Food Safety Authority has surveyed people and those in the industry, and 96% of people wanted calorie posting. That is how clear it is. The Food Safety Authority promised action on this 12 months ago and we are still waiting. There is talk of a soft approach, where chains can make their own interpretation of calorie posting. If we are to give Irish people a chance by offering clear and consistent information, we need legislation instructing food chains on how to display calories. When a person places an order, he or she should be able to clearly see how many calories will be consumed. We must put calorie information up with the point of sale.