HEALTH MINISTER LEO Varadkar is to make restaurants publish calorie counts on menus after just 7% did so voluntarily.

An independent evaluation by University College Cork (UCC) on behalf of the Department of Health revealed that the vast majority of food businesses have not responded to the call to post calorie information on their menus.

This, Varadkar says, means that it must be made mandatory.

“We know that over 95% of consumers in Ireland want the calorie count of meals displayed on menus. It’s a proven way of changing consumer behaviour and independent evidence from the USA shows that calorie posting is very effective.”

Food service businesses say that they don’t display calories because of time and cost constraints and that doing so was not mandatory.

Data from UCC shows that almost a quarter of the total calorie intake of Irish adults under the age of 65 is consumed outside of the home.

Varadkar says that although the the obesity level in the country has stabilised, more needs to be done.

“The recent Healthy Ireland survey showed that 60% of Irish people are overweight.”

He said the Department of Health will “press ahead” with legislation making the posting of calorie counts mandatory.

Read: “What’s in it for me?” – Explosive RTÉ documentary shows politicians seeking cash

Read: Leo Varadkar’s “free market” health reforms are wrong – we must call for an Irish NHS instead