In April 2022, England implemented a groundbreaking calorie labelling policy aimed at enhancing public health by mandating the disclosure of caloric information at out-of-home food outlets. This policy requires large food and non-alcoholic beverage establishments—specifically those with 250 or more employees—to display kilocalorie counts on their menus, enabling consumers to make more informed dietary choices at the point of sale. This measure was inspired by mounting concerns over the association between frequent consumption of restaurant, fast food, and takeaway meals and the rising incidences of poor dietary quality, weight gain, and obesity. However, a recent observational study published in BMJ Public Health reveals that the impact on the average energy content of menu items has been modest at best.
The comprehensive study utilized data from the MenuTracker database—an extensive repository that catalogs nutritional information such as energy content, macronutrient profiles, serving sizes, allergens, and special dietary labels from major chain menus. Drawing upon snapshots from September 2021 (pre-policy enforcement) and September 2022 (post-policy enforcement), the researchers conducted comparative analyses on 31,045 menu items across 78 chains that consistently provided calorie data both before and after the regulations came into force. These food outlets spanned diverse categories including cafes, bakeries, Western fast food, bars, pubs, stadium and entertainment venues, restaurants, and Asian fast food chains.
The research dissected menu items into well-defined groups such as starters, sides, beverages, burgers, desserts, fried potatoes, mains, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, soups, as well as toppings and ingredients. This granular categorization allowed for intricate examination of shifts in caloric values driven by the policy. Curiously, the data revealed an overall average caloric reduction of just 9 kilocalories per item, equating to a mere 2% decrease across all menus. While this figure might seem nominal, certain categories demonstrated more marked declines: for example, non-alcoholic and soft drinks saw a 16.5% drop (approximately 36 kcal), and burgers experienced an 11% average reduction, losing 103 kcal per item on average.
Examining specific food service sectors revealed that pubs, bars, and inns achieved a notable average energy reduction of 52 kcal per menu item, chairs in the restaurant sector saw reductions averaging 23 kcal, and sports and entertainment venues saw an average decline of 49 kcal. However, these shifts stemmed not from reformulation of existing menu items, but mainly through the strategic removal of high-calorie dishes and the introduction of fresh options with comparatively lower energy content. Continually available items, those present on menus before and after the policy, exhibited virtually no change in caloric content—averaging 437 kcal pre-policy and 439 kcal post-policy—exposing a lack of substantive reformulation efforts.
This finding runs counter to expectations set by other public health interventions, such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, which effectively spurred beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar content through reformulation due to associated economic incentives. Reformulating complex food items appears more challenging than beverages, particularly as portion sizes are highly sensitive in consumer perception, making large chains reluctant to shrink servings lest customer satisfaction and sales diminish. The study highlights that the observed alterations in menu composition largely involved swapping out high-energy dishes for alternatives averaging 434 kcal, against removed options averaging 458 kcal—only subtle energy differentials.
Importantly, the data underscored persistent dietary concerns by revealing that 22% of menu items continued to exceed the recommended 600 kcal per meal threshold. Burgers, main courses, and pizzas were disproportionately represented above this calorie limit, with restaurants and pubs dominating the categories supplying these energy-dense options. Given that nearly a quarter of items remain in excess of nutritional recommendations, the study casts doubt on the sufficiency of calorie labelling alone to drive meaningful changes in public health outcomes.
Researchers acknowledged several limitations in their methodology and findings. Notably, the MenuTracker database includes only chains that published calorie data online both before and after the policy implementation, potentially skewing generalizability across the entire out-of-home food sector. Moreover, the regulations permit kcal information to be expressed within a plus or minus 20% margin and allow multiple methods for calculating energy content—introducing notable variability in reported figures. Consequently, precise quantification of calorie changes remains constrained by these inherent flexibilities.
Despite its limitations, the study is pioneering as one of the first to provide real-world, large-scale evidence of the effects of mandatory calorie labelling on the energy profile of out-of-home meals. The observed marginal shifts suggest that while menu restructuring in favor of less calorific items is beginning to emerge, reformulation efforts remain embryonic and challenging to enact. The researchers emphasize that for calorie labelling to translate from policy to palpable health improvements, consumer purchasing behaviors must pivot towards these lower-calorie choices; otherwise, the modest menu shifts may fail to substantially impact population level health.
Ultimately, this research illuminates the nuanced interplay between regulatory nudges, industry responses, and consumer habits in shaping the food environment. It highlights the complexities of addressing obesity and diet-related diseases through information disclosure alone, underscoring the need for complementary strategies that incentivize reformulation, portion control, and consumer education. As public health agencies worldwide grapple with choking rates of diet-related illness, rigorous evaluation of intervention efficacy, such as this study, provides crucial insights guiding future policy refinement.
The study represents a critical stepping stone in understanding the dynamics at play in calorie labelling policy implementation. Although it documents only moderate reductions in energy content across out-of-home food offerings within a year post-enactment, the findings offer a valuable empirical foundation for stakeholders seeking to balance regulatory expectations with operational realities in a fiercely competitive foodservice industry. As this field evolves, continuous monitoring and adaptive policy mechanisms will likely be pivotal to amplifying impact and safeguarding population health.
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Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Changes in energy content of menu items at out-of-home food outlets in England after calorie labelling policy implementation: a pre–post analysis (2021–2022)
News Publication Date: 7-Oct-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-001905
References: Observational study published in BMJ Public Health
Keywords: Nutrition, Calorie Labelling, Public Health, Obesity, Food Industry Reformulation, Menu Energy Content
Tags: calorie labeling policyconsumer dietary habitsdietary choices awarenessenergy content reductionEngland food regulationsfast food calorie countsfood outlet regulationsmenu item energy contentMenuTracker database analysisobesity prevention strategiesPublic health nutritionrestaurant nutrition data
