As a government agency predicted nearly a decade ago, requiring restaurants to post calorie information on their menus seems to have resulted in restaurants voluntarily scaling back on those calories.
Those regulations are only in effect in a few jurisdictions in the United States, but chain restaurants across the country know that they’re coming and are apparently responding to it in advance, or to customers’ demands for lower-calorie items.
A study released by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that in 2012 and 2013, chain restaurants’ new menu items contained on average 60 fewer calories than existing offerings.
“If the average number of calories consumed at each visit was reduced by approximately 60 calories — the average decline we observed in newly introduced menus in our study — the impact on obesity could be significant,” Sara N. Bleich, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School and lead author of the study, said in a press release.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service predicted as far back as 2006 that even if customers didn’t respond to the new calorie information on menus, restaurants themselves would likely trim calorie counts voluntarily.
That prediction was based in part on observations the ERS made after nutritional information was added to packaged goods.
The new study, in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, noted that calorie counts weren’t reduced in the restaurants’ core menu items. Instead, the new items were lower-calorie offerings, such as salads.
That’s not true everywhere, though. Maggiano’s Little Italy has introduced lighter takes on core items with its appropriately named Lighter Takes menu, which might be a sign of things to come. Maggiano’s product development team reports that the new versions are selling better than the higher calorie ones.
The low-calorie dishes are offered right below the higher-calorie ones on Maggiano’s menu.
But evidence that customers respond to calorie information remains inconclusive, and some people, including former NRN senior editor Mark Brandau, expressed skepticism that restaurants’ moves would actually stem the tide of obesity:
There COULD be potential for health benefits if #restaurant patrons went for low-cal items, but they often don't.
— Mark Brandau (@Mark_Brandau) October 8, 2014
The National Restaurant Association, for its part, expressed delight at the news and issued the following statement from its vice president of industry affairs and food policy, Joan McGlockton:
“The restaurant industry is continuing to showcase its commitment to wellness and meeting the desire of consumers for more healthful options. This study verifies that restaurants and chefs have made significant progress in creating new menu offerings that are both innovative and nutritious. Through our Kids LiveWell program, the National Restaurant Association has been promoting and inspiring restaurants to expand healthier menu options for children. We have also advocated for the implementation of a nationwide menu labeling standard that provides consumers the nutritional information they need to make the choice that is right for them.”
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
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