The Government has quietly shelved plans to make it mandatory to show calories on menus.
The move's been criticised by some medics and the Irish Heart Foundation, which they say shows a lack of action on the National Obesity Strategy,
In the National Obesity Strategy, calorie posting was planned to be introduced by 2025 in larger restaurants.
It's now emerged that proposed legislation on the move is "currently suspended" and the Department of Health have "no plans" to resume work on it.
Professor of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital Helen Heneghan says a lack of interest in tackling obesity.
"It just reflects complete government inaction and lack of commitment to to implementing other measures that would be more effective including funding for obesity treatment.
Work on calorie posting was paused when resources were redeployed during the pandemic.
Kathryn Reilly from the Irish Heart Foundation says more transparency is needed.
"It was in the Spring legislative programme in 2021 and then, all of sudden in Summer 2021, it was taken off.
"We don't know why and it is that lack oft transparency that is particularly concerning.
Meanwhile eating disorder charity BodyWise has welcomed the move.
Ellen Jennings says such a measure could trigger those struggling mentally.
"Part of an eating disorder can be that rigid thinking an the use of numbers can be particularly triggering for a person effected by an eating disorder."
Last month, calories posting became mandatory in England, for businesses with more than 250 employees.
Photo: Pexels Images/Andrea Piacquadio
