Mandatory calorie labelling of food that we eat out has increased customer awareness of calorie labelling but has not substantially influenced calorie consumption.
A new study led by researchers from the University of Liverpool gives insights into the impact of mandatory calorie labelling in England’s out-of-home food sector, implemented in April 2022.
The study analysed data from customer surveys conducted in 330 food outlets across England, covering cafes, fast-food restaurants, pubs, and sit-down restaurants, both before and after the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling. Over 6,500 customers participated, providing insights into their calorie consumption, their awareness and use of calorie information, and their understanding of the amount of calories in their meals.
They found that there was no meaningful decrease in the number of calories purchased or consumed following the policy implementation and that despite higher awareness, only a small percentage of customers (22%) reported using calorie information when making their food choices following the policy implementation.
“The introduction of mandatory calorie labelling alone was not associated with significant dietary changes in out-of-home food settings,” said lead researcher Dr Megan Polden.
Professor Eric Robinson said: “However, we know that many businesses have not been providing calorie labelling as recommended and some businesses have not provided any calorie labelling at all, which of course may explain our results”. Our results may also indicate that a combination of strategies, such as improved business compliance measure, public education on calorie intake and clearer
