The impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on out of home food orders: a randomised controlled trial study using a virtual food and drink delivery app

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 5 authors, 2 centres

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TL;DR

Calorie labelling significantly reduced calories ordered from the coffee shop and fast food outlet but did not affect portion size selection; proportional pricing reduced the likelihood of choosing a larger beverage from the coffee shop but unexpectedly increased calories ordered from the fast food outlet.

Full summary

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No consistent interactions with participant sociodemographic characteristics were found. The study was limited by its hypothetical, online delivery-app setting rather than real-world purchasing, and the sandwich outlet showed no significant response to either intervention. The findings suggest calorie labelling on delivery platforms may reduce calories ordered and proportional pricing may nudge smaller portion selection, but real-world validation is needed.

STUDY TYPE

RCT

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10508026

The impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on out of home food orders: a randomised controlled trial study using a virtual food and drink delivery app

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

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ABSTRACT

Background Mandatory calorie labelling in the out-of-home food sector was introduced in England in 2022, and menu pricing strategies that ensure cost is equivalent to portion size (proportional pricing) have been proposed as a policy to reduce obesity. Food delivery app-based platforms now contribute significantly to diet, and evidence suggests that those at a socioeconomic disadvantage may have greater exposure to unhealthy options on these platforms. However, public health policies to improve nutritional quality of food ordered from food delivery apps has received limited examination. Objective This experimental study assessed the impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on item and meal size selection, calories ordered, and money spent when selecting food and drinks from three outlet types on a virtual delivery app. Methods UK adult participants (N = 1126, 49% female), stratified by gender and education level completed an online study where they ordered items from three branded food and beverage outlets (coffee shop, sandwich outlet, fast food outlet) using a virtual delivery app. Participants were presented food and beverage options with vs. without calorie labels and with value (larger portions are proportionally cheaper) vs. proportional pricing. Results Calorie labelling did not influence portion size selection for any outlets, but significantly reduced calories ordered from the coffee shop (-18.95kcals, 95% CI -33.07 to -4.84) and fast food outlet (-54.19kcals, 95% CI -86.04 to -22.33). Proportional pricing reduced the likelihood of choosing a larger beverage from the coffee shop (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.75), but was associated with increased calories ordered from the fast food outlet (51.25kcals, 95% CI 19.59 to 82.90). No consistent interactions were observed with participant characteristics, suggesting that effects of calorie labelling and pricing on outcomes were similar across sociodemographic groups. Conclusions Calorie labelling on food delivery platforms may effectively reduce calories ordered. Proportional pricing may be useful in prompting consumers to select smaller portion sizes, although further research in real-world settings will now be valuable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-023-01513-2.

CITATION EXPORT

Amy Finlay, Emma Boyland, Andrew Jones et al.. The impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on out of home food orders: a randomised controlled trial study using a virtual food and drink delivery app. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01513-2

AUTHORS

5 · 2 CENTRES

Amy Finlay, Emma Boyland, Andrew Jones, Rozemarijn Witkam, Eric Robinson

1https://ror.org/04xs57h96grid.10025.360000 0004 1936 8470Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA UK
2https://ror.org/04zfme737grid.4425.70000 0004 0368 0654Department of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF UK