The Impact of Nutrition Labeling on Menus: A Naturalistic Cohort Study

Objectives: To examine the impact of a calorie label intervention on cafeteria menus. Methods: Exit surveys were conducted in a university cafeteria. Participants were surveyed at baseline and one week after calorie labels were displayed. We assessed changes in noticing and use of nutrition information, the calorie content of food purchased, and estimated calorie consumption. Results: The intervention was associated with significant increases in noticing nutrition information (92.5% vs 39.6%; p < .001), and the use of nutrition information to guide food purchases (28.9% vs 8.8%; p < .001). The calorie content of foods purchased decreased after calorie labels were posted (B = -88.69, p = .013), as did the estimated amount of calories consumed (B = -95.20, p = .006). Conclusions: Findings suggest that displaying calorie amounts on menus can help reduce excess energy intake.