Eighteen major catering companies, including many high street brands, will introduce calorie information on their menus for the first time.

The list of trailblazers, announced by Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo and the Food Standards Agency will start displaying calorie information from the end of April.

The list includes workplace caterers, sit down and quick-service restaurants, theme parks and leisure attractions, pub restaurants, cafes and sandwich chains. This will benefit individuals and families who are trying to choose a healthier diet.

Companies involved include a number of well-known high street names and several major contract caterers:

• Burger King
• Compass Group UK and Ireland - in a number of Royal Mail staff restaurants
• The Co-operative Expresso cafes
• ISS Mediclean - in a number of London hospital restaurants
• KFC
• Marks & Spencer Cafes
• Chessington World of Adventures theme park, operated by Merlin Entertainments
• Harvester restaurants and Scream pubs, operated by Mitchells & Butlers
• Pizza Hut
• Pret A Manger
• Sainsbury's Cafes
• Sodexo - in a number of client restaurants in its corporate and defence sectors
• Subway
• Tesco staff restaurants
• Unilever staff restaurants (in partnership with Sodexo)
• Waitrose Cafes
• Wimpy
• 7 Day Catering - in college restaurants

By June, more than 450 food outlets across the country will have introduced calorie information - some of these will be on a pilot basis. Each company has agreed to:

• display calorie information for most food and drink they serve;
• print calorie information on menu boards, paper menus or on the edge of shelves; and
• ensure the information is clear and easily visible at the point where people choose their food.

Making calorie information available at the point of choice is the first and simplest step, which will lead to more clarity for people when eating out.