MenuCal is a free and easy to use tool for food businesses to provide information about the calories and allergens in their dishes to help customers to make informed choices.
Allergens
Current food labelling legislation contains a list of the 14 most common substances or products causing allergies or intolerances across the EU, ranging from well-known allergens such as peanuts and milk, to less widely recognised allergens including mustard and lupin seeds which are often used in flour. Since December 2014 it has been a mandatory requirement for providers of non-prepacked food such as food served in restaurants and cafes to be able to inform customers about the presence of any of these allergens in the food they serve.
Read our guidance for businesses on providing allergen information to consumers.
MenuCal helps food business comply with food law on the 14 main allergenic ingredients in food.
We also have online allergy training that can help you understand food business requirements when it comes to food allergies.
Visit our online allergy training.
Calories
Food businesses can help improve the Scottish diet by supporting their customers to make healthier choices. According to our research 66% of consumers think calories should be displayed on menus.
Read about our nutrition research.
MenuCal allows businesses to calculate the energy values (kilojoules and kilocalories) of their food which, when displayed to customers, can support healthier choices.
Knowing the amount of calories in a dish can also help businesses to reduce calorie content of the food they are serving which can be done by:
- reducing portion sizes or offering smaller portion options
- swapping ingredients for healthier options e.g. swapping full fat ingredients to lower fat options
- creating new and lower calorie menu options
MenuCal training
The tool includes free online training to show businesses how to:
- organise your business so that it’s easy to manage allergen and calorie information for your menu
- use MenuCal to manage allergens on a day-to-day basis
- calculate calories
- display calorie and allergen information
All information is stored safely and securely and the tool can be used on mobile devices.
Online Allergy Training
Welcome to Food Standards Scotland's online allergen training tool.
Labelling and composition standards
Food Standards Scotland has policy responsibility for food information, food labelling, food standards and nutrition labelling in Scotland.
Food allergies
Most allergic reactions to food are mild, but some can be very serious. A small amount of the food concerned can trigger a reaction.
Healthy Eating Tutorial
Welcome to our online healthy eating tutorial.
