Calorie labelling on foods encourages people to eat less, but only by one Pringle, a new study has found.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL) found that calorie information on menus and packaged products only led to an average reduction of 1.8% in the total amount of calories people consumed. The change equates to about 11 calories in a 600-calorie meal, or the same as two almonds or one single Pringle.
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Senior author of the study Dr Gareth Hollands from UCL said: ‘Our review suggests that calorie labelling leads to a modest reduction in the calories people purchase and consume. There was a small but potentially meaningful effect on people's food choices, but we should not expect miracles.’
Researchers reviewed 25 studies that looked at the impact of calorie labels in supermarkets, restaurants and other food outlets in countries including the United States, UK, Canada and France. They acknowledged the limitations of the study, citing lack of evidence about the effect of calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks and potential impact of the information on mental health.
Since April 2022, supermarkets, large cafes, restaurants, and takeaways in England with more than 250 staff have been legally required to display the calorie count of all food and soft drinks in their stores and on their menus, online menus, third-party apps and food delivery platforms. The rationale behind this was to encourage consumers to make informed and healthier food choices.
The study has received mixed responses about the benefits of the calorie labelling law in the country. Lead author of the study Dr Natasha Clarke said that even though the impact was small, ‘the cumulative effect at a population level could make a meaningful contribution to public health’.
However, Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London said: ‘It is debatable whether such a small change would have any impact on body weight in the long term. People only lose weight if they consume 200 fewer calories a day for a prolonged period and consumers also get fatigue from calorie labelling in the long term.’
Dr Hollands acknowledged that calorie labelling is useful but said it must be accompanied by other measures such as taxes on food and drinks, marketing restrictions and reformulation.
To encourage healthier eating, the Government has already announced plans to ban junk food adverts on TV and online in England, alongside calorie labelling.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We have also given local authorities stronger powers to block applications for unhealthy takeaways near schools, to stop fast-food giants targeting pupils.’