With a focus on food service businesses operating at least 20 locations in Ontario, the latest Making Healthier Choices Act will undoubtedly influence how franchise businesses prepare menus and decide on food suppliers. By reinforcing the need for transparency, the bill aims to help consumers make educated decisions when choosing to eat out.
The bill officially dates back to November 2014 when it was first considered and today it stands before the standing committee as of early April. The bill includes three different schedules, with each pertaining to matters concerning healthy living concepts, from caloric values of foods consumed while eating out to regulations concerning the distribution of tobacco and e-cigarette products. All three areas aim to promote greater transparency and reduce health problems for Ontario residents.
Business operators of food service chains with multiple locations numbering at least 20 will be in the spotlight. Schedule one of the bill concerns “regulated food service premises” that offer food intended for immediate consumption. Each “standard food item” sold is to be listed, on any menu or display, alongside the number of calories contained therein, including all varieties, flavors, and sizes of any one particular food item.
Considering these new requirements that appear to be on the fore of approval throughout the most populous province of Canada, franchises operating at least 20 locations throughout Ontario, regardless of where headquarters is located, could opt to alter how food supply is handled. To decrease liability issues and streamline operations, franchisors could require that each menu item and all corresponding ingredients distributed by franchisees be acquired from pre-approved suppliers. This in turn could lead to lengthier and more restrictive agreements between franchisor and franchisee.
The actual outcome of the bill is yet to be seen and how franchise businesses in the food service sector will be impacted is yet unknown. If nothing else, consumers will gain more information to work with when deciding what to eat and where to eat.
To read up on the bill in more detail, visit here.