Calorie labeling encourages the choice of lower-calorie foods
However, only slightly
An updated Cochrane Review found that calorie labeling on menus and food packaging leads people to choose products with slightly fewer calories and may result in them consuming fewer calories.
Pre-packaged foods are an essential part of our daily diet. These are often complex products with different ingredients. It is often difficult for consumers to assess the nutrient or energy content of these foods and drinks.
Since 2016, the indication of average nutritional values per 100 g or 100 ml has been required by law on most packaged foods in Germany. In addition, since 2020 it has been possible to voluntarily label the nutritional quality of a product using the Nutri-Score.
A Cochrane research team from the UK found and evaluated 25 studies on the effects of calorie labeling on the selection, purchase and consumption of food. Most of the studies took place in real-life settings where people commonly buy or consume food, such as restaurants, canteens and supermarkets. The studies analyzed included over 10,000 participants from high-income countries such as Canada, France, the UK and the US. Two of the studies also examined alcoholic beverages, but their results are too uncertain to draw reliable conclusions.
Overall, the Cochrane authors found that calorie information leads to a slight reduction in the amount of calories selected. In concrete terms, this means On average, 1.8% fewer calories are selected per meal. For a meal of 600 calories, this corresponds to around 11 calories, comparable to two almonds. This slight reduction is considered safe (16 studies with 9850 participants, high confidence level of the evidence). This may also have an effect on consumption, with 35 kcal less consumed per average meal (8 studies with 2134 participants, low-certainty evidence).
Even if these savings on individual meals or purchases are small, small daily changes could lead to a reduction in weight gain that often occurs with increasing age, for example. However, this is speculation and there is a lack of data.
Concerns remain about possible effects on vulnerable groups, such as people with eating disorders. The review notes that there is too little data on possible negative effects, including the impact on mental well-being. It therefore remains to be seen whether the small, potentially significant long-term effect on food choice outweighs possible negative effects.
Calorie labeling could be part of a broader approach that places more responsibility on the food industry through measures such as taxes, advertising restrictions and product reformulation.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
Original publication
Other news from the department science
