Menu Labeling: Does Point of Purchase Nutrition Information Affect Consumer Behavior?
A Research Synthesis by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, June, 2009
Americans spend nearly half of their food budget on away-from-home food, and 45 percent of adults agree that restaurants are an essential part of their lifestyle. In addition to purchasing meals for their own consumption, parents frequently purchase restaurant foods for their children. The majority of parents report purchasing restaurant food for a family meal one or more times per week.2 Annual restaurant sales are projected to total $395 billion by the end of 2009, up from $42.8 billion in 1970.
Dramatic increases in the consumption of away-from-home meals over the past 40 years have prompted growing interest in menu labeling, the practice of providing information on calories, fat, sodium and other selected nutrients in menu items at points of purchase, as a strategy to reduce obesity and diet-related chronic disease. This research synthesis reviews studies that have examined the use of menu labeling in away-from-home food establishments, such as restaurants and cafeterias, and the potential impact of labeling on consumers’ food and beverage selections.
