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Cited by 51Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingGlobal Public Health Policies and EpidemiologyNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Exploratory Analysis of Fast-Food Chain Restaurant Menus Before and After Implementation of Local Calorie-Labeling Policies, 2005–2011

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Namba, Alexa, Auchincloss, Amy, Leonberg, Beth L., Wootan, Margo G.·2013·Preventing Chronic Disease
DOI 10.5888/pcd10.120224PMC PMC3690828
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Since 2008, several states and municipalities have implemented regulations requiring provision of nutrition information at chain restaurants to address obesity. Although early research into the effect of such labels on consumer decisions has shown mixed results, little information exists on the restaurant industry's response to labeling. The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate the effect of menu labeling on fast-food menu offerings over 7 years, from 2005 through 2011. METHODS: Menus from 5 fast-food chains that had outlets in jurisdictions subject to menu-labeling laws (cases) were compared with menus from 4 fast-food chains operating in jurisdictions not requiring labeling (controls). A trend analysis assessed whether case restaurants improved the healthfulness of their menus relative to the control restaurants. RESULTS: Although the overall prevalence of "healthier" food options remained low, a noteworthy increase was seen after 2008 in locations with menu-labeling laws relative to those without such laws. Healthier food options increased from 13% to 20% at case locations while remaining static at 8% at control locations (test for difference in the trend, P = .02). Since 2005, the average calories for an à la carte entrée remained moderately high (approximately 450 kilocalories), with less than 25% of all entrées and sides qualifying as healthier and no clear systematic differences in the trend between chain restaurants in case versus control areas (P ≥ .50). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that menu labeling has thus far not affected the average nutritional content of fast-food menu items, but it may motivate restaurants to increase the availability of healthier options.

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  • Few studies have examined longitudinal changes in children's menu items offered at restaurant chains, revealing little difference in the nutrient content of menu items between 2008 and 2012.

    “Few studies have examined longitudinal changes in children’s menu items offered at restaurant chains, revealing little difference in the nutrient content of menu items between 2008 and 2012 [9–11].”

    From Comparison of the nutrient content of children’s menu items at US restaurant chains, 2010–2014 (2015) · cites this paper as [10]

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Authors
Namba, A., Auchincloss, A., Leonberg, B. L., & Wootan, M. G.
Affiliations
  • Drexel University (US)
  • Center for Science in the Public Interest (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Namba, Alexa
ORCID
Venue
Preventing Chronic Disease
Publisher
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Preventing Chronic Disease
Published
2013-06-20
Volume
10
Pages
E101-E101
ISSN
1545-1151 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.5888/pcd10.120224
PMC
PMC3690828
OpenAlex
W2080441479
Cited by
51
References
20
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4
FWCI
8.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
public-domain
Locations
  • Preventing Chronic Disease (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Drexel University
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD061978, U01HD061978)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
menu labeling, calorie labeling, fast food restaurants, nutrition information, obesity prevention, nutrition policy
MeSH terms
Adult, Child, Food Labeling, Health Policy, Humans, Menu Planning, Nutritive Value, Case-Control Studies

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