More research finds that mandatory menu labeling, set to kick in later this year for chains, doesn’t deter overeating. Now we’re learning that merely asking customers how much they want may do the job better.
February 16, 2012
Bob Krummert
How slowly is the federal rule about nutritional labeling of menu items at chain restaurants emerging? The process has been so glacial that researchers have already had time to conduct real-world experiments that show most people don’t order or consume less food when calorie counts are posted. Now one new study uncovers what might work: Ask customers if they’d like a smaller portion.
We’ll tackle Tulane Prof. Janet Schwartz’s study in a minute, but let’s check in with the Food and Drug Administration first.
The agency published the proposed menu-labeling rule back on March 23, 2011. The timetable calls for that final rule to be completed by March 30, 2012, and be published on June 30, 2012. Then menu labeling will be mandatory for chains having 20 or more units, remaining optional for other restaurants. Of note: The original bill that mandates menu labeling—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.
Schwartz is just one of several researchers who have looked at the efficacy of menu labeling since it became law. Her study, conducted at a franchised Chinese restaurant near Duke University in Durham, NC, had servers query customers as to whether they would like to downsize the rice or noodle component of their chosen dish. “Would you like to save 200 calories or more by taking a smaller portion?” servers would ask. All other components of the meal stayed the same.
“Our goal was to test whether the invitation to downsize a meal component would be embraced by consumers and, importantly, whether the approach would be more effective than a purely information-based approach—in this case, calorie labeling,” Schwartz says.
She had servers pose this question using three different scenarios. In one, customers would get a 25-cent discount if they downsized their meal. A second saw the question posed with menu calorie labels prominently displayed in front of consumers as they chose their meals. Scenario three had no discount offer and no calorie labels displayed.
The results: Schwartz reports that anywhere from 14 percent to one-third of customers agreed to downsize their portion. Neither the 25-cent discount offer nor posting calorie information had much of an effect on customer choice. “In fact, significantly more customers—21 percent versus 14 percent—accepted the downsizing offer when calorie information was absent,” the study points out.
Schwartz says her study shows that a significant percentage of diners may be more interested in portion control than restaurant operators might assume.
“I think the restaurant industry may find this counterintuitive, but it’s an interesting and easy strategy that could help their customers make healthier choices,” she notes.
In case you find yourself in need of such a strategy later this summer, when big chains must start posting calorie information on their menus, keep this approach in mind.
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