Restaurants Oppose FSSAI’s Decision To Display Calorie Count On Menu

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had wanted the calorie count to be shown for each dish on a restaurant menu and this move was opposed by the industry reports the F&B News. The restaurant association managed to show how this move wasn’t feasible and currently only high-end restaurants are being focused on for this change. The regulator also wanted to have allergen information on the menu along with vegetarian and non-vegetarian logos, a mention of organic food, ingredients and so on.

Not Possible To Show Calorie Count

“Standardisation of the menu is not possible and same dish prepared multiple times may differ in calorific value,” Kamlesh Barot, former president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) told the F&B News. “This shouldn’t be the another stick to beat us. Uniformity in calorific values in food items freshly prepared in the kitchen of a restaurant is a difficult task for the restaurateurs. Before implementing any such move the apex food regulator should consider our views and consult us.”

Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, the owner of the popular Pritam Hotel in Mumbai and who has recently been elected the president of HRAWI told F&B News, “Unlike the business of ready-to-eat (RTE) meals where packaged products have standardised quantities, ingredients and preparation processes. Restaurant kitchens prepare and serve food that are created a-la-carte. Each chef has his or her own personalised style and variation. As we are not in the business of buying ingredients from vendors and assembling them on site, but prepare the dishes in-house, fresh and customised, it would be practically impossible to provide calorie count.”