It is no surprise to anyone now to have some familiarity with the calorie labelling of food products on a packet of food or a bottle of our favourite pop. Wandering the supermarket and shops, every product has some information telling us how much energy we will consume in a portion. We can know the energy value in two forms – the total in a pack or bottle or for a standard portion size and in two types of units -kilocalories (kcal) and kilojoules (kJ). The benefit to us as consumers is that we have some basic nutritional facts about our food which helps us make informed decisions on purchase and how much to eat.
It might be a surprise though to start seeing calorie information printed in menus, or on billboards for food items. Indeed, a recent visit to the local canteen showed me how many calories were to be found in a flapjack or a pannini with ham and cheese. These are typical products which we will see energy values for, available over the counter from a small customer café to the college canteen or the workplace restaurant. Calories have to be shown for all those products advertised for sale if not the price. In fact anyone selling food to a consumer has a responsibility now to provide them with energy information for a typical portion.
As far as I know, New York City was the first to introduce their calorie labelling laws in 2008. Certainly, restaurant chains with at least 15 outlets needed to stipulate calorie content at the point of choice. Not only that, the energy values (calories for the USA by the way), had to have equal prominence to both the name and price quoted for a food product. The main benefit to this day, was the consumer being made aware of the energy content of the meal.
In the UK, calorie for the out of home sector began when the Department of Health created the ‘Responsibility Deal’ which was for a calorie labelling pledge in September 2011. There were 46 firms who signed up to pledge. They would make a voluntary commitment to display calorie information. It was an attempt to help the consumer make an informed choice and gave them empowerment to do so. Such aims were published in the ‘Guidance on voluntary calorie labelling for caterers’ and included Greggs, Burger King, Starbucks Coffee, ASDA and Morrisons.
Food labelling legislation covers calorie contents for out-of-home foods in the EU regulation No. 1169/2011 on ‘the provision of food information to consumers’. Some key features are ensuring the food is properly defined and that energy values are quoted. Space must be provided for these figures on menus although it might not always be possible and that there is a drive to improve customer understanding.
Consumer research also reveals some interesting finding about the customer reaction of calorie labelling. It appears when we visit a restaurant for a meal we do not really want to know how many calories we consume when being treated to a T-Bone steak. However, in 2014, the Allegra Food Service study on ‘Eating out in the UK’ found 42% of consumers wanted to see energy contents for food on the menu and that females were most convinced for the need. Contrast this – 58% of consumers feel the flavour of the food is more important than the impact on their health.
Consumers want healthier options and the ability to choose these where possible. The Allegra study above also found that a better variety of meals should be available at restaurants where the options under 600 kcal should be emphasised. About 44% of consumers thought there were not enough healthy options on menus
For the product developer and the chef, generating a meal which meets calorie guidelines is a challenge. Although recipes can be adjusted throughout the development process, achieving the right values requires great understanding of each component and how the process affects the product. The caterer can also offer inducements to sway the purchaser – swap fried bread for toast and save 100 kcal, or, if you add a slice of bacon you get another 50 kcals. In fact, it should help us produce healthier options and alternatives to meet stipulated requirements.
What does it mean for businesses serving food ? There is certainly a commercial impact and there could there be a negative impact on sales. Why ? Consumers might restrict their choices or eat less. No bad feature of course in a weight-health conscious world but then why be reminded when visiting a place for a treat to be reminded of ‘seconds on the lips, a lifetime on the hips’.
Each business needs to estimate or calculate the number of calories in a portion and how accurate this needs to be. They have to consider how meal combinations are generated and what impact the side dishes have. What space is needed on a sign or on the menu for all those new values. Does the consumer need an explanation from the meal provider ? What about the other nutrients we are familiar with such as the sugar or fat content, or the individual minerals or bioactives that could be present. Even if full nutrition information is available online, can the chef explain to that level of detail ?
Some of the misleading elements in this mix though are knowing what size the portions are, that the energy values given really relate to. I’m not sure I can visualise a portion size and then match the calorie value given if let’s say a cup of coffee comes in three different sizes from small, medium and large with a value given against it. Knowing how chefs can vary the size of a meal on a plate, will I even receive the correct number of calories quoted on the menu ? Portion variability is usually accounted for by stating a typical number of calories and making it clear to all that the calorie values given are a guide only.
Research in the USA indicates that calorie labelling is having an impact with one in six customers using the calorie information (Dumanovsky et al., 2011). The outcomes are that many more businesses are signing up for the Responsibility Deal pledges. Consumers have developed an understanding to varying degrees on calorie labelling so it shouln’t have too great an impact on sales.
Dumanovsky, T., Huang, C.Y., Nonas, C.A., Matte, T.D., Bassett, M.T. and Silver, L.D. (2011) Changes in energy content of lunchtime purchases from fast food restaurants after introduction of calorie labelling: cross sectional customer surveys. British Medical J. 343, pp. 1-11.
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