Calorie labelling, smaller portions sizes and healthy options should be available to anyone eating out, according to Scotland’s food watchdog.
The measures are among five recommendations put forward by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) to tackle the growing obesity crisis.
About 61% of Scots admit they need to eat more healthily, up 10% in a year.
FSS said the issue was costing the Scottish economy £2.37bn a year and that tougher regulation was needed.
They want to see curbs on the promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks sold outside the home in a bid to improve Scotland’s diet.
However, the FSS also said it recognised the need for support and assistance for smaller food businesses.
‘Very real prospect’
FSS chairman Ross Finnie said: “There has been some concrete progress over the past year from Food Standards Scotland, government and industry to address the deep-seated problems with Scotland’s diet, and there have been some positive steps in the right direction.
“However, given we’ve been missing our dietary goals in Scotland since these were first set more than 20 years ago, it’s clear that moves towards improving Scotland’s diet need to be more rapid, more robust and more effective.”
Mr Finnie said food consumed outside the home had a “vital role to play” in helping Scots be healthier.
He added: “In our view, regulation would create a level playing field for industry, and without it, we face the very real prospect of increasing diet-related ill health and unsustainable burdens on the NHS and our economy.”
