FAQs

ALLERGEN LABELLING

What is the legal requirement to declare the use of allergens in non-prepacked foods?                       Food businesses providing non-prepacked food must label the use of any of the 14 listed allergens found in the food served.

Do I have to name the cereal for foods that contain Gluten?
The cereal itself is considered the allergenic ingredient and so must be labelled e.g. wheat, barley, rye etc.

What about cross-contamination?
The legislation does not apply to cross-contamination of foods containing allergens .

CALORIE LABELLING

Which foods are required to display calorie information?
All foods and non-alcoholic beverages that are available for more than 30 days per year.

What about ‘customised’ food orders?
Calories must be displayed for the ‘Top 10 Bestselling’ combinations.

How does ‘calorie menu labelling’ work for foods that are ‘self-served’?
Calories should be displayed for standard serving sizes (e.g. bowl of soup).

Can displaying calories benefit my food business? 
Previous clients have reported that displaying calories has helped to achieve tighter stock control and reduced food waste. Research conducted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has highlighted that 95 % of Irish consumers would like to see calories on menus.

How accurate must ‘calorie menu labelling’ be?
Displaying calories on menus will fall under EU food labelling laws, which are tightly regulated. Calorie counts must not mislead the consumer. They must be accurate.

How can I manage day-to-day variation in portion sizes served?
Calorie menu labelling requires food businesses to standardize food portions served. As a part of our service, CALculate My Menu will generate a standardized portion guide for your business.

How should calorie information be displayed on a menu?
Calorie values must be printed on all menus (including leaflets, digital menus and menu boards). The values must be displayed beside the unit price, and in such a way that they are just as apparent as the price (i.e. same size font, colour etc.)

What about one-off specials/ the ‘dish of the day’?
Foods and drinks offered for less than 30 days each year are exempt from calorie menu labelling.

Will foods for ‘sharing’ be included in the legislation?
All shared foods will need to display calorie values.

Will beverages fall under ‘calorie menu labelling’ laws? 
Yes. All non-packaged and non-alcoholic beverages will be required to display calorie values.