Study evaluates impact of mandatory calorie labelling in bars, cafes and restaurants

A new study gives insights into the impact of mandatory calorie labelling in England’s out-of-home food sector, which includes bars, cafes and restaurants.

The research team, led by the University of Liverpool and including colleagues from the University of Cambridge, University of Exeter and Liverpool John Moores University, found that while the policy, introduced in April 2022,  has increased customer awareness of calorie labelling, it has not substantially influenced calorie consumption.

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.

The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that:

• There was no meaningful decrease in the number of calories purchased or consumed following the policy implementation.
• Noticing of calorie information rose, with 31.8% of participants reporting awareness of calorie labels post-implementation, compared to 16.5% before.
• Despite higher awareness, only a small percentage of customers (22%) reported using calorie information when making their food choices following the policy implementation.
• Awareness and use of calorie labelling were higher among women, older adults, and people in higher socioeconomic groups.

“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.

Prof 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 labelling , could be necessary to support healthier consumer choices.”

Co-author Professor Rich Smith, of the University of Exeter, said: “This study adds further support to the need for a combined policy approach if we are to really shift the dial on food intake and obesity.  We need to be providing information, such as labelling, alongside policies on pricing and the choice environment, such as portion sizing, in a coordinated way if we are to really improve diets.”

The study suggests that further investigation is needed to assess how mandatory calorie labelling provision in the out of home food sector can be improved and whether this will increase public understanding and use.  

This study was supported by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Policy Research Programme, and results were published as part of ongoing efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions aimed at reducing obesity rates in England.

The study is entitled ‘Evaluating the association between the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling and energy consumed using observational data from the out-of-home food sector in England‘.