248916 Availability of nutritional information in a national sample of fast food restaurants: Overview of the landscape prior to federal mandate

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 8:30 AM

Leah Rimkus, MPH, RD , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Lisa Powell, PhD , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Zeynep Isgor, PhD candidate , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Oksana Pugach, MS , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Dianne C. Barker, MHS , Public Health Institute, Oakland, Calabasas, CA
Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD , Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Introduction: Several communities have enacted menu labeling legislation requiring the posting of calories on fast food menu boards and provision of other nutritional information on site. As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, restaurant chains will soon be required to implement menu labeling nationwide. To understand the potential impact of this federal mandate, it is helpful to assess the national landscape prior to implementation. Methods: Observational data were collected in 2,459 chain and non-chain fast food restaurants in 154 communities in the spring/summer of 2010 as part of a nationwide study. The observation tool assessed the presence and placement of calorie and other nutritional information in each restaurant. Additionally, observers asked restaurant employees for nutritional information and collected printed nutrition material, where available. Results: Preliminary results indicate that few restaurants had calorie information posted on the menu board (3%) or on food display tags (1%). Approximately 20% of restaurants had nutritional information at the point of purchase on posters or in printed form. When asked about the availability of nutritional information, employees most often reported that there was no information available (46%) or provided material from behind the counter (19%). This presentation will summarize differences in the availability of nutritional information by community demographics and describe the content and readability of printed nutrition materials. Discussion: Prior to a federal mandate, nutritional information was almost never available on fast food menu boards or food display tags, but was sometimes available in printed or posted form, or upon request.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
- Describe the frequency of availability of nutritional information in a national sample of chain and non-chain fast food restaurants. - Explain differences in the availability of nutritional information in fast food restaurants by community demographics. - Discuss the content and readability of printed nutrition materials supplied by fast food restaurants.

Keywords: Nutrition, Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I led the development of the data collection tool and the training of field staff. I drafted the abstract content.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.