The policy was introduced in April 2022 to tackle obesity (Image: Getty)
Calorie labelling on menus in England has failed to cut the amount that people purchase or consume, research suggests.
A study found that the policy introduced for out-of-home food outlets with more than 250 employees in April 2022 made customers more aware of the energy content of their choices.
But it did not significantly change the amount of calories people consumed and only 22% reported using the labels when making food selections.
Study author Professor Eric Robinson, a behavioural scientist at the University of Liverpool, said some businesses were not complying with the policy “which of course may explain our results”.
He added: “Our results may also indicate that a combination of strategies, such as improved business compliance measure, public education on calorie intake and clearer labelling, could be necessary to support healthier consumer choices.”
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The study gathered data from 6,500 people who were surveyed at 330 food outlets before and after the introduction of levelling.
The team also noted that the initial surveys were conducted shortly after restrictions eased, which may have influenced the results.
Professor Tom Sanders, an expert in nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London who was not involved in the research, said: “The takeaway finding from this study is that on its own mandatory calorie labelling is an ineffective public health measure to prevent obesity.
“This would support the view that calorie labelling alone does not motivate people to change their dietary habits. However, calorie labelling is useful for individuals who are motivated.”
Professor Keith Frayn, emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford, said calorie labelling “should not be seen as an end in itself, more as part of a package of measures”.
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He added: “The measurements reported here were made before, and around six months (four to eight months) after, the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling, so this is an early snapshot.
“Although the researchers found no significant decrease in calories purchased or consumed, the range of responses was wide and subject to all the well-known difficulties of recording what people eat.
“Despite those difficulties, there was a significant increase in people noticing the calorie labelling and claiming to be influenced by it. These must be good signs of increasing awareness.
“It would be useful to see the study repeated a longer time after the introduction of labelling. One response noted elsewhere is that outlets may reduce the calorie content of meals offered; it seems probable that this will take time.
“In short, this early snapshot should be seen as encouraging rather than disappointing.”