From Lorraine Smith.
WITH the current recession and the price of food up 13.7% in Jersey since last year, Andrew Heaven of Jersey Health has informed us that people are eating out more often, as it is more cost-effective to do so. It has been noted that chip shops are doing a roaring trade.
However, the concern of Mr Heaven is that food eaten outside the home is generally higher in salt, fat and sugar.I am in agreement with Mr Heaven, but would like him to note that while it is law that prepackaged foods are required to display their complete nutritional information, one cannot enter a Jersey restaurant and order a meal which displays a breakdown of nutritional content on the menu.
Surely the time has come to address this issue within the law. Displaying such information on menus would enable the consumer to make an educated choice about their meal (if they so wish).
I appreciate that initially this would be a laborious task for restaurateurs, and I understand that the nutritional content would only be of approximate value, but surely in 2009, with so many people watching their weight or taking care of their health by endeavouring to eat foods lower in saturated fats, it would eventually become a cost-effective practice and may have positive knock-on effects, for example less strain on the public health service due to decreasing problems caused by obesity.
Cobblestones,
La Retraite,
Queen’s Road,
St Helier.
