MenuCal

A free, secure, online tool that supports food businesses with managing allergen information and calculating calories in the food they serve

Woman reading a laminated food menu at an outdoor café

MenuCal

MenuCal is a free and easy to use tool for food businesses to provide information about the calories and allergens in their dishes to help customers make informed choices about the food they consume.  

The tool includes free online training to show businesses how to: 

  • organise your business so that it’s easy to manage allergen and calorie information for your menu 
  • manage allergens on a day-to-day basis 
  • calculate calories 
  • display calorie and allergen information to customers 
  • create prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) labels 

All information is stored safely and securely, and the tool can be used on mobile devices.  

Start using MenuCal

Calculate calories

MenuCal allows businesses to calculate the energy values (kilojoules and kilocalories) of their food which, when displayed to customers, can support healthier choices. 

Food businesses can help improve the Scottish diet by supporting their customers to make healthier choices. According to our research, 66% of consumers think calories should be displayed on menus. 

Knowing the amount of calories in a dish can also help businesses to reduce the calorie content of the food they are serving which can be done by: 

  • Reducing portion sizes or offering smaller portion options; 
  • Swapping ingredients for healthier options e.g. swapping full fat ingredients to lower fat options; 
  • Creating new and lower calorie menu options. 
See our nutrition research reports
Busy restaurant inside

Comply with allergen laws

MenuCal helps food businesses comply with food law on the 14 main allergenic ingredients in food, including labelling functionality for businesses providing prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food. 

Current food labelling legislation contains a list of the 14 most common food allergens, ranging from well-known allergens such as peanuts and milk, to less widely recognised allergens including mustard and lupin seeds (which are often used in flour). Since December 2014, it has been a mandatory requirement for providers of non-prepacked food, such as food served in restaurants and cafes, to be able to inform customers about the presence of any of these allergens in the food they serve. 

Sign up to MenuCal and start using it today
Man looking at food items in a fridge in the chilled aisle of the supermarket

We also have online allergy training tools that can help you understand food business requirements when it comes to food allergies. 

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