Transcript Effect of Nutrition Labeling of Children’s Meals on

MENU LABELING: FROM
RESTAURANTS TO THE BOTTOM
LINE
Elena Serrano, PhD
Associate Professor, Extension Specialist
Human Nutrition, Foods, & Exercise
Virginia Tech
Weight of the State
April 11 , 2013
THE MENU FOR THIS SESSION
 Overview of menu labeling
 Significance of menu labeling for public health and
obesity prevention…the bottom line
 FDA Guidance
EATING AWAY FROM HOME
 Americans are eating away from home more frequently.
Nearly 57% of Americans eat away from home on a given day
(including childcare center s, schools)
 In 1999–2000, 41% of US adults reported eating away-from-home
foods at least weekly
 In 2002: Nearly 50% of Americans’ food expenditures went toward
away -from-home food facilities
 In 1960: 25%
 Restaurant-industr y sales alone are $1 .6 billion on a typical day in
2010
 49% of the food dollar
(USDA, 2000; Bowman, 2004, National
Restaurant Association, 2010)
EATING AT FAST FOOD
RESTAURANTS
 25% of adults and 30% of children 4 –19 years old
reported eating fast food at least daily
 Daily energy intake provided by foods for children
and adolescents from fast-food outlets alone rose
from 6.5% in 1977-1978 to 19.3% in 1994-1996

In Virginia 73% of youth eat food from a fast food restaurant at least once
a week
(Bowman, 2004, Virginia Foundation for Healthy
Youth, 2010)
DIET, HEALTH, AND EATING AWAY
FROM HOME
 Several studies have shown strong
associations between frequency of eating
away from home, particularly fast food
restaurants, and:
 total calories
 fat
 saturated fat
 fruit and vegetables
 milk
 negative metabolic outcomes
 weight status
(Lin 1999; Paeratakul, Ferdinand et al. 2003; Bowman,
Gortmaker et al. 2004; Duffey, Gordon‐Larsen et al. 2007
and 2009)
KIDS
MEALS
A total of 50% of
the top 50
restaurants offer
menus or meals
targeted to
children
Pa r e n t s r e p o r t
o r d e r i n g c h i l d r e n’s
meals most often
at the leading fast
food restaurants
for their children,
especially if they
had younger
children
(Serrano and Jedda, 2009; Brownell & coworkers, 2010)
MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES AT
RESTAURANTS
 Most consumers
underestimate the amount
of calories and fat in foods,
especially away from home
and super-sized items
 Most consumers WANT
nutrition information
 Yet only 6 (0.1%) of 4,311
patrons accessed onpremises nutrition
information before
purchasing food at
McDonald's, Burger King,
Starbucks, and Au Bon Pain
(Johnson, Corrigan et al. 1990; Burton, Creyer et al.
2006; Chandon 2007; Wansink, 2007)
TRENDS
73% of adults
r e p o r te d t h a t i n
the last two
ye a r s t h ey h av e
t r i e d to e a t
healthier at
restaurants.
Nutritious
c h i l d r e n ’s
m e n u s i s o ne o f
t h e to p t r e n d s
MENU LABELING
 Until mandated menu labeling legislation, menu labeling was
limited, but promising, producing more positive than
equivocal results, especially for adults who want to make
healthier choices (i.e. limit calories) and at restaurants that
are full-service:
 Young women
 Older individuals concerned about chronic disease
 NOT fast food
(Milich, Anderson et al. 1976; Cinciripini 1984; Dubbert, Johnson et al. 1984;
Davis‐Chervin D 1985; Mayer, Heins et al. 1986; Schmitz M 1986; Forster‐Coull L 1988;
Albright, Flora et al. 1990; Anderson J 1990; Balfour D 1996; Eldridge A 1997; Bassett,
Dumanovsky et al. 2008; Driskell, Schake et al. 2008; Aaron J 1995; Fitch, et al., 2009;
Harnack, French et al. 2008)
MENU LABELING HAS EMERGED AS A
POINT-OF-PURCHASE, PUBLIC HEALTH
STRATEGY TO PROMOTE HEALTHIER
EATING AWAY FROM HOME….AND
IDEALLY OBESITY REDUCTION
Menu labeling
= Nutrition
labeling on
menus = point
of selection =
point of
purchase
MENU LABELING
 NYC (2006): Required restaurants with 15 or more locations
to list calorie information in a prominent location
(CSPI, 2011)
Also vending
machines
Re s t a u r a n t e s t a b l i s h m e n t s w i t h 2 0 o r m o r e l o c a t i o n s
n a t i o nw i d e ( o r t h o s e t h a t v o l un t a r i ly ) p o s t “ t h e n u m b e r o f
c a l o r i e s c o n t a i n e d i n t h e s t a n d a r d m e n u i te m , a s u s u a l l y
p r e p a r e d a n d o f f e r e d f o r s a l e ” “ i n a c l e a r a n d c o n s p i c uo us
m a n n e r, ” a n d w i t h “ a s u c c in c t s t a te m e n t c o n c e r n i n g
s u g g e s te d d a i l y c a l o r ic i n t a ke . ”
CURRENT NATIONAL
LEGISLATION
(Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 )
BILL WAS TO GO
EFFECT JANUARY
1, 2011. SOME
LIS HMENTS ARE
LREADY POSTIN G
FORMATION, BUT
HE RULE -MAKIN G
PROCESS IS NOT
FINALIZ ED.
IS IN THE FINAL
GE S OF WRITING
MENU LABELING
GULATION S…THE
L RULES SHOULD
OME OUT IN THE
“RELATIVE NEAR
TERM”
WHO WILL IT IMPACT?
 Restaurant or similar retail food establishments:
Who is
included
in this?
 “the establishment presents itself as a restaurant”
 “greater than 50 percent of the establishment's total floor area is
used for the sale of food”
 May or may not include convenience stores, restaurants at grocery
stores and hotels
 Movie theaters, airplanes, bowling alleys, and other
establishments whose primary purpose is not food -related do
not need to comply
 Others can “opt in” to the federal menu labeling requirements
by registering with the FDA every other year
WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE
PROVIDED?
 Calories need to be disclosed on menus
 “Calories” or “Cal” next to number of calories
 Combo meals (burger, side item, and beverage) and dif ferent
flavors or varieties of menu items (vanilla versus pumpkin
spice latte) would include ranges
 Daily caloric intake recommendations:
 Proposed: “A 2,000 calorie diet is used as the basis for general
nutrition advice; however, individual calorie needs may vary.”
 Alcohol is exempt
WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE
PROVIDED?
 Certain food items will NOT be subject to disclosure
requirements:




Items not listed on a menu or menu board (i.e. ketchup).
Daily specials
Test items (fewer than 60 days – like McRib)
Custom orders
 Additional nutrition information for standard menu items
must be available to consumers, including:
 total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol,
trans fat, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber and
protein
WHAT ITEMS WILL BE LABELED?
 To be determined:
 Guidelines for analysis of calorie content
 Considering methods of preparation, variation in serving size
 Definitions for: variable menu items, foods on display, self service, custom order, daily special, temporary menu item,
food that is part of a customary market test
 Format (font size, final nutrient info., considering space on
menus and menu boards)
 Currently proposed as displayed “clearly and prominently”
FOR DESSERT….
 Will a national menu labeling mandate change food purchases
and help lower obesity rates?
 Will it help shape and change our social and cultural norms
toward foods sold at restaurants?
 How does it influence what is of fered at restaurants, along
with sales?
RESOURCES
FDA’s Guidelines on Menu Labeling:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabe
ling/LabelingNutrition/ucm217762.htm
Virginia Cooperative Extension:
http://www.ext.vt.edu
National Restaurant Association:
http://www.restaurant.org/
THANK YOU!