The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour and led by researchers from the University of Liverpool, reveals that 31.8% of people now notice calorie labelling on restaurant menus, but of those just 22% use the information to help inform their purchasing decision.
Calorie labelling on menus for businesses that employ 250 or more staff came into force in England in April 2022.
Under the rules, venues must display calorie counts ‘clearly and prominently’ at the point of choice – typically a menu – along with the statement that ‘adults need around 2,000 kcal a day’.
The new research - titled: Evaluating the association between the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling and energy consumed using observational data from the out-of-home food sector in England - has been collated from customer exit surveys conducted both before and after mandatory calorie labelling was introduced across 330 hospitality venues.
In total, 6,578 diners took part in the study.
Prior to the implementation of the legislation, just 16.5% of people noticed calorie labelling on menus, with 19% of those using the information to inform their purchasing decision.
Females reported using calorie labelling more than males, following the policy’s implementation, with similar trends noted for older adults and people in higher socioeconomic groups.
