CALORIE labelling on food products leads people to choose options with slightly fewer calories which can lead to ‘meaningful’ long-term effects, a new study has found.
Published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the study by University College London (UCL), Bath Spa University, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford examined evidence from 25 studies on the impact of calorie labelling on food selection and consumption.
The studies that were analysed encompassed over 10,000 participants from high-income countries including Canada, France, Britain, and the USA.
The researchers found that calorie labels in supermarkets, restaurants, and other food outlets led to a ‘small’ reduction in the amount of calories consumers selected and purchased – with an average reduction of 1.8%, which equates to 11 calories in a 600 calorie meal.
Explaining that such small daily changes in calorie consumption can have meaningful effects if sustained long-term, researchers added that most adults tend to gain weight as they age.
A recent UK Government report estimates that 90% of 20-40 year olds will gain 9kg over 10 years. Senior author, Dr Gareth Hollands, of UCL’s faculty of education and society, said, “Our review suggests that calorie labelling leads to a modest reduction in the calories people purchase and consume. This may have some impact on health at the population level, but calorie labelling is certainly no silver bullet.
“Our previous version of this review from 2018 reported a potentially larger effect but was inconclusive because there was significant uncertainty over the results. This update has reduced that uncertainty, and we can now say with confidence that there is very likely a real, albeit modest, effect.”
Lead author, Dr Natasha Clarke, (Bath Spa University), added, “This review strengthens the evidence that calorie labelling can lead to small but consistent reductions in calorie selection. While the overall impact on individual meals or food purchases may be modest, the evidence is robust. The cumulative effect at a population level could make a meaningful contribution to public health, especially as calorie labelling becomes more widespread.”
