3rd February 2012

Michael O’Shea, Chief Executive of the Irish Heart Foundation said: “Our charity welcomes the public consultation on the inclusion of calories on menus to make it easier for the people of Ireland to make the healthy choice, the easier choice. Providing calorie information on menus is a positive step to help the nation stop and consider what and how much they are eating and then to make an informed decision.

“Obesity is a major health concern for both our adult and child population with Ireland ranking second fattest in Europe which is why we strongly encourage the public and industry to support Minister for Health Dr James Reilly and the FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland) in their bid to promote calories on menus.

“In the continued interest of de-mystifying how to choose a healthier food product the Irish Heart Foundation would also like to see the introduction of a front-of-pack traffic light labelling system combined with numerical information and the words high (red), medium (amber) and low (green), on food products so that consumers can see at a glance, whether a food product is high or low in fat, salt or sugar. This front-of-pack colour-coded system has been shown by our own research to be the preference of consumers and also proven to be easier for people to understand in the UK where the scheme already exists.”

Ends

Media queries to Caroline Cullen, Communications Manager, Irish Heart Foundation, Mobile: 086-6049282 or talk to Ceri Teggin, Communications Assistant on 01-6346917 or call Irish Heart Foundation main switch 01 6685001.