Nikolaou, Charoula K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-4174, Lean, Michael E.J. and Hankey, Catherine R. (2014) Calorie-labelling in catering outlets: acceptability and impacts on food sales. Preventive Medicine, 67. pp. 160-165. ISSN 0091-7435 (doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.027)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
Obesity is the biggest challenge facing preventive medicine. Calorie-labelling has been suggested as a way of changing the architecture of an 'obesogenic' environment without limiting consumer choice. This study examined the effect of calorie-labelling on sales of food items at catering outlets on a city-centre university campus.

METHODS:
Sales data were collected for two consecutive months in 2013 on three UK university sites (two with calorie-labelling during second month, one control) and analysed with chi-square 'Goodness-of-Fit' tests. A questionnaire seeking consumers' views and use of the calorie-labelling was administered and analysed at group-level with chi-square tests.

RESULTS:
In intervention vs control sites, total sales of all labelled items fell significantly (-17% vs -2%, p<0.001) for the month with calorie-labelling. Calorie-labelling was associated with substantially reduced sales of high-calorie labelled items, without any compensatory changes in unlabelled alternative items. Among 1166 student- and 646 staff-respondents, 56% reported using the calorie-labels, 97% of them to make lower-calorie choices. More females (63%) than males (40%) reported being influenced by calorie-labels when choosing foods (p=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS:
This study provides evidence, beyond that from single-meal exposures, for the acceptability of meal calorie-labelling and its potential as an effective low-cost anti-obesity measure.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	weight-gain, calorie-labelling, nudging, catering
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Food & Markets Department
Last Modified:	17 Jan 2020 16:00
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/26551

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