Current calorie labeling regulations in England exclude smaller food businesses (those with less than 250 employees), leaving a significant data gap in our diets. Although a relatively small amount of our average total daily calories come from OOH (14%), approximately 40% of these OOH calories come from SMEs, who are currently exempt from having to display the calorie content of their meals. This project, running throughout 2026, aims to close that gap. 

Our primary goal is to demonstrate that it is feasible to accurately collect calorie data from SMEs in the out-of-home food sector, with minimal burden to businesses. In doing so, it will be possible for businesses to share this information with customers. It will also serve a purpose for policymakers. By improving data in the OOH sector, it will be possible to better understand the sector’s impact on the nation’s health, provide a benchmark against which to measure any improvements, and allow current and future regulations to be expanded to all of the OOH sector, not only large businesses. Ultimately, this will support Nesta’s mission to create healthier food environments for all.

We believe the biggest barrier to OOH SMEs providing calorie data is the significant time and high cost required to establish the calorie content of all the ingredients in a dish, and the complexity of carrying out nutritional lab analysis, which is the only other available option. People want to make healthier choices, but it is difficult when a significant section of the food environment lacks clear calorie information. By developing a suitably accurate method of collecting this data, that removes most of the burden, we can make it simpler for SMEs to comply with any future health policy and easier for the public to know what they are eating.

We are working with New York University Abu Dhabi, who are experts in this field and have developed the AI methodology that will be utilised in this project. The project aims to build on and test this model across a number of ‘phases’. 

1. Firstly, establishing the accuracy of the model using a range of OOH cuisines. 
2. We will then test and pilot the model with 20-25 diverse SMEs on the ground via a digital app. This will allow us to assess real-world accuracy and ease of use, sampling their meals via the app and also lab testing the meals to validate the results. 
3. A third phase will be to test scalability and usability with a wider group of SME businesses. We will work with an expert advisory panel, to provide guidance on how the model and/or the app could be scaled and the implications for health policy.