The hospitality industry has been advised to consider putting calorie counts on menus before EU legislation is introduced, despite a lack of proof that it would change diners' eating habits.
The European Union (EU) controls food legislation for all member states, meaning the Department of Health does not have the power to force businesses to print calorie information on menus.
However, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) believes such legislation may be passed by 2013.
Speaking at the latest R200 conference for the UK's largest restaurant and pub groups, BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim said it is just "a matter of time".
"With pressure coming in from the EU the question is not if it's going to happen but when and how," she informed delegates.
"The EU is very active and discussions have been going on for a while, but now there is more political support particularly around providing allergen information on menus.
"Operators need to become aware and begin to start thinking about this in terms of how your business works."
However, a survey in New York that questioned 7,000 people in 2007 and another 8,500 in 2009 — before and after compulsory labelling was introduced in 11 restaurant chains in New York — found that only 15% of diners changed their eating habits, reducing their intake by an average of 106 calories.
"We are hoping the fact that we have evidence that it hasn't made a difference — and that something else will be thought through — will actually help," added Ibrahim.
"But at the moment it seems that the Government is not concerned with the fact that consumers aren't asking for this information because they think they can help to influence that and make it happen."
So far 28 hospitality companies, encompassing 4,000 high-street outlets, including Mitchells & Butlers' brand Harvester, have signed up to the Department of Health's Responsibility Deal to commit to providing calorie details on food and non-alcoholic drinks on their menus, among other measures, from 1 September this year.