Login to your account
Don’t have an account?
Create a Free AccountMenu Labeling and Nutrient Analysis
Vending Machines: A Narrative Review of Factors Influencing Items Purchased
Vending machines are a ubiquitous part of our food environments. Unfortunately, items found in vending machines tend to be processed foods and beverages high in salt, sugar, and/or fat. The purpose of this review is to describe intervention and case studies designed to promote healthier vending purchases by consumers and identify which manipulations are most effective. All studies analyzed were intervention or case studies that manipulated vending machines and analyzed sales or revenue data. This literature review is limited to studies conducted in the United States within the past 2 decades (ie, 1994 to 2015), regardless of study population or setting.The Influence of Nutrition Label Placement on Awareness and Use among College Students in a Dining Hall Setting
Nutrition labels may be important predictors of dietary selections among college students; however, awareness and use are not well understood in this population.The Fast-Casual Conundrum: Fast-Casual Restaurant Entrées Are Higher in Calories than Fast Food
Frequently eating fast food has been associated with consuming a diet high in calories, and there is a public perception that fast-casual restaurants (eg, Chipotle) are healthier than traditional fast food (eg, McDonald’s). However, research has not examined whether fast-food entrées and fast-casual entrées differ in calorie content.Factors Associated with Self-Reported Menu-Labeling Usage among US Adults
Menu labeling can help people select foods and beverages with fewer calories and is a potential population-based strategy to reduce obesity and diet-related chronic diseases in the United States.Energy Contents of Frequently Ordered Restaurant Meals and Comparison with Human Energy Requirements and US Department of Agriculture Database Information: A Multisite Randomized Study
Excess energy intake from meals consumed away from home is implicated as a major contributor to obesity, and ∼50% of US restaurants are individual or small-chain (non–chain) establishments that do not provide nutrition information.Including “Added Sugars” on the Nutrition Facts Panel: How Consumers Perceive the Proposed Change
Effective tools and strategies for the prevention of chronic disease and the promotion of health are needed to reduce the disease burden in the United States. In the nutrition arena, the nutrition label, originating from the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, is believed to be one such tool. Specifically, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act established requirements for the inclusion of the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP), its prominent display on most packaged goods, and its regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).New Menu Labeling Requirements: Academy Advocacy Expands Opportunities
In addition to the sweeping changes to health insurance costs and coverage ushered in by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law mandated a substantial increase in the national availability of nutrition information. Section 4205 of the bill established a requirement for restaurants and fast-food chains with more than 20 locations to list the calorie counts of standard items on menus and menu boards, and to provide more comprehensive nutrition information upon request. This federal mandate superseded various previously enacted state and local regulations and brought uniformity to displays of nutrition information for restaurants and similar establishments.Nutrition Label Viewing during a Food-Selection Task: Front-of-Package Labels vs Nutrition Facts Labels
Earlier research has identified consumer characteristics associated with viewing Nutrition Facts labels; however, little is known about those who view front-of-package nutrition labels. Front-of-package nutrition labels might appeal to more consumers than do Nutrition Facts labels, but it might be necessary to provide consumers with information about how to locate and use these labels.Sociodemographic Disparities among Fast-Food Restaurant Customers Who Notice and Use Calorie Menu Labels
As part of the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations nationwide will soon be required to post calorie information on menus with the aim of helping customers make healthier food choices. To be effective, this policy must affect all customers, especially those most at risk for poor health and diet outcomes.The Gluten-Free Labeling Rule: What Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Need to Know to Help Clients with Gluten-Related Disorders
On August 5, 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the final rule on gluten-free labeling.1 This rule defines the claim gluten-free when voluntarily used on food labels. The rule went into effect on September 4, 2013, and had a compliance date of August 5, 2014. All products labeled on or after August 5, 2014, bearing a gluten-free claim on product packaging that fall under the labeling jurisdiction of the FDA must be in compliance. Consumers and registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) should be mindful that products labeled before the compliance date may be on store shelves for a period of time.The Influence of Menu Labeling on Calories Selected or Consumed: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Recent menu labeling initiatives in North America involve posting the calorie content of standard menu items, sometimes with other nutrients of public health concern, with or without contextual information (such as the recommended daily caloric intake for an average adult) or interpretive information (such as traffic light symbols). It is not clear whether this is an effective method to convey nutrition information to consumers wanting to make more-informed food choices. Of particular concern are those consumers who may be limited in their food and health literacy skills to make informed food choices to meet their dietary needs or goals.The Impact of Variations in a Fact-Based Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling System on Consumer Comprehension
In 1990, when the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act1 was enacted, there was a clear need for standardized information on food product packaging. This legislation, an amendment of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938,2 was intended to enable consumers to make more informed food choices to build a healthy diet. In addition to the new requirement for nutrition labeling on most packaged foods, and the creation of uniform definitions used in nutrient content claims, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act revised health claim regulations allowing manufacturers to print approved health claims on the front of food and beverage product packaging if certain criteria were met.Use of the Go-for-Green Nutrition Labeling System in Military Dining Facilities Is Associated with Lower Fat Intake
Point-of-purchase nutrition labeling is a potential tool to help consumers choose healthier foods. The objectives of our study were to survey soldiers on their use of the Go-for-Green nutrition labeling system in dining facilities and compare characteristics of users and nonusers. The study population consisted of 299 US Army active duty soldiers at two US Army installations. The frequency of use of food labels and characteristics were calculated and differences in characteristics of label users and nonusers were compared using χ2 and regression analyses.Environmental and Individual Factors Affecting Menu Labeling Utilization: A Qualitative Research Study
Obesity is a prominent public health concern that disproportionally affects low-income and minority populations. Recent policies mandating the posting of calories on menus in fast-food chain restaurants have not proven to uniformly influence food choice. This qualitative research study used focus groups to study individual and environmental factors affecting the use of these menu labels among low-income minority populations. Ten focus groups targeting low-income residents (n=105) were held at various community organizations throughout New York City over a 9-month period in 2011.Energy, Saturated Fat, and Sodium Were Lower in Entrées at Chain Restaurants at 18 Months Compared with 6 Months Following the Implementation of Mandatory Menu Labeling Regulation in King County, Washington
Policies on menu labeling have been proposed as a method to improve the food environment. However, there is little information on the nutrient content of chain restaurant menu items and changes over time.Making Menus Friendly: Marketing Your Food Intolerance Expertise
The public's growing interest in allergens and food intolerance seems a buffet of opportunity for registered dietitians (RDs), and those in the field advise their colleagues to step up to the line and help themselves. Identifying and actively marketing one's potential services are the keys to successfully working with either the health care or commercial food industry. This is particularly the case in situations involving celiac disease and gluten intolerance. RDs have a unique opportunity to address these growing concerns from a number of vantage points, as some in the field are already doing.Nutrition Label Use Partially Mediates the Relationship between Attitude toward Healthy Eating and Overall Dietary Quality among College Students
Individuals who frequently read nutrition labels tend to both value healthy eating and engage in healthy dietary practices more than individuals who read labels infrequently. However, the relationship between label use, attitude toward healthy eating, and dietary quality remains unclear, particularly among young adults, about whom little is known with regard to nutrition label use. Our study investigated whether nutrition label use mediates the relationship between eating-related attitudes and dietary behaviors among young adult college students.Identifying Opportunities: A Report on the 2010 American Dietetic Association Environmental Scan on Restaurant Menu Labeling
‘‘Forewarned is forearmed,” as the old saying goes, and never has it been more true than when it comes to informing dietetics practitioners about the professional opportunities generated by recent legislation regarding the inclusion of nutrition information on restaurant menus. Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, passed in March 2010, mandates that restaurants and food vendors with more than 20 locations must disclose calorie information on their menus, menu boards, and vending machines, while making other nutrition information available to consumers upon request (1).Helping Grassroots Advocacy Efforts Take Root
Grassroots advocacy—as the term implies—is a form of advocacy that grows organically and, quite often, spontaneously at the local or regional level. As the leading food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians (RDs) are in a unique position to shape public policy, particularly at the ground level, by participating in a full spectrum of advocacy activities.Influence of Placement of a Nutrition Logo on Cafeteria Menu Items on Lunchtime Food Choices at Dutch Work Sites
This study investigated the effectiveness of labeling foods with the Choices nutrition logo on influencing cafeteria menu selection and the behavioral determinants of menu choices in work site cafeterias in the Netherlands. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted. Intervention cafeterias (n=13), where the Choices logo was used to promote healthier eating for a 3-week period, were compared with control cafeterias (n=12), which offered the same menu without the logo. Sales data were collected daily for 9 weeks, from March to May 2009.Nutrition beyond the Numbers: Counseling Clients on Nutrient Value Interpretation
Although extensive research has been conducted to determine recommendations for optimal diet, these guidelines generally apply to the “average person” and specific demographic groups. However, average people do not typically have the requisite knowledge or training to understand and practically apply the nutrition information they are provided.Making Wellness Delicious: Building a Healthier Chicago's FIT City Program
For many consumers, “diet” has become a four-letter word, especially when it comes to dining out. Ordering from the diet, lower-calorie, or “healthy” section of a restaurant's menu feels to some people like they're depriving themselves of the very pleasure they hope to experience when going out to eat. As a dietetics practitioner, how can you help your clients overcome this mental block to healthful eating? Building a Healthier Chicago's (BHC's) new FIT City initiative seeks to answer this question by shifting consumer perception from the grim self-denial often associated with “diet” meals, to the enjoyment of “fresh, innovative, and tasty” dining options.A National Approach to Restaurant Menu Labeling: The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, Section 4205
As health care professionals and researchers continue their efforts to determine effective ways of addressing the continuing national struggle with overweight and obesity, legislators, too, have sought to do their part.Point-of-Purchase Nutrition Information Influences Food-Purchasing Behaviors of College Students: A Pilot Study
The goal of point-of-purchase (POP) nutrition information is to help consumers make informed, healthful choices. Despite limited evaluation, these population-based approaches are being advocated to replace traditional, more expensive, individual behavior-change strategies. Few studies have examined the effect of POP information on buying patterns of college students, a group with high obesity rates and poor eating habits. This quasi-experimental pilot project sought to determine whether the “Eat Smart” POP program affected food-purchasing habits of multiethnic college students shopping at an on-campus convenience store.Food Label Use and Its Relation to Dietary Intake among US Adults
Rates of diet-related chronic disease combined with the lack of current data on patterns of food label use by the US population warrant re-examination of the use and potential influence of this public health tool. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of food label use and the association between food label use and nutrient intake in a nationally representative sample of US adults who participated in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data on food label use were collected during the interview portion of the survey, and nutrient intake was estimated using the average of two 24-hour dietary recalls.
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. except certain content provided by third parties. The content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals.
