ArticleBMC public health2019
Point of choice kilocalorie labelling in the UK eating out of home sector: a descriptive study of major chains.
Article in BMC public health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Effectiveness of Partnerships With Commercial Actors to Improve Food Environments: A Systematic Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Calorie (energy) labelling for changing selection and consumption of food or alcohol.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to implementation of menu labelling interventions from a food service industry perspective: a mixed methods systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2020Pooled it
- Leveraging consumer behavior insights and information-based interventions to mitigate food waste in restaurant environments: a step toward sustainable food systems management.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- The UK Food Environment: A Systematic Review of Domains, Methodologies, and Outcomes.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Review
- Evaluating the association between the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling and energy consumed using observational data from the out-of-home food sector in England.Nature human behaviour · 2025Article
- Article
- The use of private regulatory measures to create healthy food retail environments: a scoping review.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
- Assessing public perception and awareness of UK mandatory calorie labeling in the out-of-home sector: Using Twitter and Google trends data.Obesity science & practice · 2023Article
- Kilocalorie labelling in the out-of-home sector: an observational study of business practices and consumer behaviour prior to implementation of the mandatory calorie labelling policy in England, 2022.BMC public health · 2023Observational
- Monitoring the Nutrient Composition of Food Prepared Out-of-Home in the United Kingdom: Database Development and Case Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2022Article
- Article
- Increasing availability of lower energy meals vs. energy labelling in virtual full-service restaurants: two randomized controlled trials in participants of higher and lower socioeconomic position.BMC public health · 2021Article
- Factors Influencing Fidelity to a Calorie Posting Policy in Public Hospitals: A Mixed Methods Study.Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
- Energy (calorie) labelling for healthier selection and consumption of food or alcohol.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEating out is now common and food served out of the home is often of low nutritional quality. Kilocalorie (kcal) labelling of food and drink products sold in restaurant chains in the US is now mandatory, although in store kcal labelling practices among major UK restaurant and takeaway chains have not been examined.
methodsDuring August 2018, we contacted, visited the website and/or retail outlets of major eating out and takeaway food chains in the UK, including full-service and fast-food restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, some of which had previously made a voluntary pledge to provide kcal labelling. We examined the proportion of chains providing kcal information to customers at point of choice in store and the extent to which kcal information provision adhered to labelling recommendations. We also examined the proportion of chains that did not have point of choice kcal labelling but were able to provide kcal information on request. The study protocol was pre-registered on the Open Science Framework.
resultsOf the 104 eligible chains, only a small minority (18 chains, 17%) provided in store kcal labelling. Of those that did, provision of kcal information tended not to adhere to recommended labelling practices. Of the 16 eligible chains that had previously committed to a voluntary public health pledge to provide point of choice kcal labelling, labelling did not meet recommendations and 4 (25%) did not provide kcal labelling. Of the 86 chains that did not provide kcal labelling in store, kcal information was available on request from 43 (50%) chains.
conclusionsIt is rare for eating out and takeaway chains in the UK to provide point of choice kcal labelling and when labelling is provided it does not adhere to recommended labelling practices. Chains that previously volunteered to provide kcal labelling as part of an industry and public health partnership do so inadequately. Voluntary policies have not resulted in adequate kcal labelling in the UK eating out of home sector.
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Registered trials
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