How Many People Request Nutritional Info at Fast Food Outlets?

Just 0.1% of people request nutritional information. So having the information listed……

Just 0.1% of people request nutritional information. So having the information listed on the menu boards can be of real value in helping people make better decisions.

In this observational study, it was determined how frequently consumers accessed on-premises nutrition information provided at chain restaurants. The number of patrons entering and accessing nutrition information was recorded at eight locations that were part of four major restaurant chains (McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, and Au Bon Pain). Only six (0.1%) of 4,311 patrons accessed on-premises nutrition information before purchasing food. This very small percentage suggests that such information should be more prominently displayed, such as on restaurant menu boards, to help customers make informed decisions.

In an effort to address the obesity epidemic, New York City has required chain restaurants to post calorie information on menu boards and other cities and states are considering similar policies. The primary rationale for this mandate is that Americans eat a large proportion of meals away from home, consume excess calories in the process because of large portions, and are generally unaware of the caloric content of foods.

The restaurant industry strongly opposes menu labeling legislation, arguing that because restaurants already make nutrition information accessible to customers online and on-premises, the cost of changing and cluttering menus is not justified. However, only about half of the largest chain restaurants make nutrition information available in some form and it is unclear how often customers use this information.

In an effort to sample restaurants from both urban and suburban areas, observations at two separate locations for each restaurant chain were observed.

Nutrition information in McDonald’s and Burger King was displayed on a wall poster, and the McDonald’s in Manhattan, as well as both Starbucks outlets, provided nutrition pamphlets. Nutrition information at Au Bon Pain was provided via an on-premises computer. At McDonald’s and Burger King, customers were categorized as accessing the nutrition information if they (1) approached the poster on the wall and turned their head toward it (because one did not have to face the poster to purchase food) or (2) picked up a nutrition pamphlet (in the McDonald’s restaurant only). At Au Bon Pain, an individual had to touch the computer screen, thus turning it on. At Starbucks, a nutrition pamphlet had to be picked up.

During the observations, research personnel sat in the restaurant in a place that allowed them to count the number of people entering the restaurant and to observe who accessed nutrition information.

Of the 1,501 people who entered the McDonald’s outlets, 1 woman and 1 man were observed accessing nutrition information prior to purchasing food, and 1 woman and 1 man accessed the information after making their purchases. Of the 482 people who entered the Burger Kings, only 2 men and 1 woman (0.6%) looked at the nutrition poster. Of the 1,671 customers who entered the Au Bon Pains, 1 woman (0.06%) was observed accessing nutrition information. Finally, none of the 657 people who entered Starbucks accessed information.

Overall, only 6 (0.1%) of 4,311 restaurant patrons accessed nutrition information before making their purchases at eight locations of four major restaurant chains. This finding is worrisome because people tend to underestimate the caloric content of fast-food meals, which are typically higher in calories than are meals made at home. People’s inability to accurately estimate calories suggests that customers are unlikely to have looked up nutrition information online before entering the restaurant and some large chains fail to provide nutrition information on their websites. The results indicate that if on-premises nutrition information is to affect customers’ purchasing behaviors, it must be displayed in a highly visible place such as on a menu board.[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Board of health votes to require calorie labeling in some New York City restaurants [press release].