Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the launch today by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland's Menu-Cal. Certainly calorie counting is not the answer to obesity but it is widely accepted that it can have a positive effect. On the one hand, the restaurant representative bodies say this will be expensive for them and that it will, ultimately, be ineffective. On the other, it is clear from research that 96% of people want to see calories displayed on menus. I would have a certain sympathy for restaurants, particularly, those who change their menus every day. I have no doubt it is a habit that would be very useful for restaurants because by controlling portion sizes and being more mindful of what goes into the meals they present to consumers, it would lead to a reduction in waste. Research in America found that when calories were signalled on menus, for example, in hamburger joints, people consumed 152 fewer calories in those joints and 70% less when it came to sandwich bars. If we were to transport those figures to Ireland, there would have a positive effect on obesity levels and type 2 diabetes problems.

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that when food and drinks are prepared outside the home, the consumer does not know what goes into the food. While calorie counting may be a somewhat crude measure when it comes to overall health, it certainly would be a helpful measure in addressing the obesity crisis which will get worse if measures such as this are not adhered to and put in place. Currently, it is a voluntary opt-in service but I hope people will buy into it and that it will not be necessary for the Minister to make it compulsory. With regard to my question for the Leader, I have called for a debate on obesity at some stage with the Minister. A more positive debate might be one on health and the promotion of health in terms of alcohol, obesity and many other items.