Study examines consumer responses to calorie information on restaurant menus
Menus heavy on customizable dishes will be more difficult for the consumer to navigate in terms of determining calorie content.
The 2014 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) final rule titled, "Food Labeling: Nutrition Labeling of Standard Menu Items in Restaurants and Similar Retail Food Establishments," requires information on the calorie content of food items to be clearly displayed on menus. This rule applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name and offering the same menu items. Under this rule, restaurants must provide calorie and other nutrition information for standard menu items, including food on display and self-service food.
Rand Corp., Santa Monica, Calif., conducted a study that looked at how the provision of calorie information on restaurant menus affects consumers. To gain insight on the consumer perspective, participants in the online experiment chose items from the menus of nine different restaurant settings, ranging from fast food outlets to movie theaters. The calorie labels on those menus followed the requirements described in the FDA rule. The survey also collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes toward food and use of nutrition and calorie labels.