Industry insights

A recent review into the impact of calorie labelling in supermarkets, restaurants and other food outlets determined that there has been a small reduction in calories people purchased and consumed, equating to around two almonds per meal. This may feel insignificant, however if sustained over a long time this can still have an impact at a population level.

At Bidfood, we agree that a multifaceted approach is needed to tackle obesity and improve the health of the population, remembering that calorie labelling is no silver bullet. This is why our nutrition strategy focuses on a broader approach to health and wellbeing and aligns to government policies, industry guidance and healthy eating initiatives.

We must also remember that everyone has a different relationship with food and seeing the calorie count may help some, but for others it can have a negative effect. It is therefore incredibly important that menus without calorie information can continue to be shared with the consumer at their express request to support them in their meal experience.

For further information on our resources for calorie labelling, as well as wider legislative support, click here.

Hearing The Prime Minister set out his commitment to the rollout of AI technology across the UK is certainly something that we as an industry can get excited about. Many within wholesale and foodservice have already started to implement new technologies that incorporate AI, identifying it as an important tool that could create efficiencies, increase effectiveness and support the customer experience.

AI and advanced analytics continue to develop at an incredible pace and what we see as new technology today, could be old news in the near future. In order to operate an efficient business, these tools should be embraced but, approached with caution, to ensure tools and data are fully understood before being used.