Diners demand to know more about what's in their food
Caterers can't afford to ignore consumer demand for nutritional information when they eat out, according to a global report commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions.
The World Menu report found that 73 per cent of consumers want to know more about what is in their food when eating out.
It also found that consumers already let nutritional information influence where they eat out.
Sixty-one per cent said they preferred to eat in places that are transparent about the ingredients they use, and and 59 per cent said knowing about the nutritional information would influence their choice of establishment - of these 75 per cent said health was the reason.
The findings come against a backdrop of the UK having the highest obesity rates in Europe and diet related illness costing the NHS £6 billion per year
Tracey Rogers, managing director, Unilever Food Solutions said: "The World Menu Report has highlighted a clear message to those of us within the food service industry.
"We know that not all consumers are asking about the nutritional value of their food when eating out of home, but if the information was available to them then this could increase.
"We should work collectively as an industry to come up with workable solutions that give consumers an informed choice and meet caterers' commercial and operational criteria. We're already working closely with our customers to provide some of the solutions so we know it's possible.
"We believe that by providing these solutions we can empower chefs to change the health of the nation."
It is important news for pubs compete with high street food chains that already publish calorie and nutrional information on their menus.
As part of a new drive to assist chefs in educating consumers about healthy and nutritious foods, Unilever has launched three new services; Your Menu where Unilever will help chefs and caterers to deliver nutritious, healthy and profitable menus , Your Guest to help understand the needs and motivations of customers and Your Kitchen to help with kitchen efficiency.
