Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 589: To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied) regarding healthy food labelling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34259/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year I set up a Special Action Group on Obesity to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of obesity. The Group is concentrating on a range of measures, including the introduction of calorie posting in restaurants. I have written to fast food establishments throughout Ireland, asking that they support me in introducing this initiative. The Group is looking into the feasibility of extending calorie posting to other restaurants.

The option to extend the details of nutritional labelling beyond calorie content is something that can be considered in the context of the EU regulation on the provision of food information to consumers. One of the main changes in this Regulation is the introduction of mandatory nutritional labelling of prepackaged foods. Labels will have to include details of a food's energy content as well as its fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt levels. While this Regulation will come into force shortly, food business operators will be given time to implement the new labelling provisions. The Regulation will also permit the introduction of nutrition labelling for non-packaged foods on a voluntary basis.