The Effect Of Food Labels To The Total Calories Of Ordered Food At Restaurants

Abstract

World leaders at the 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food. Food labels help people to understand the information about the nutrient facts in their foods. Many experts have been trying to develop food labels which are not only informative but also effective to improve people’s diet. Being able to read and understand food labeling do not necessarily mean being able to choose a healthier food. Thus, knowing the effectiveness of food label on making a healthier food choice for consumers, especially a lower calories food, is important. A narrative review on the effectiveness of food labels at several restaurants in making food choice was conducted through PubMED search and subsequently followed by MeSH terms. A filter of the ages of subject was adolescent and adult and all reviewed papers were in English. The studies selected were experimental studies and should provide the data of calories ordered either in kilocalories (kCal) or kilojoule (kJ). Food label, however, could bring some positive results while nutrition label at restaurants was still recommended. Thus, all restaurants are advised to provide nutrition label which is informative without too much details to consumers prior ordering, instead of only providing the information on websites.