Menu changes may not result in healthier meals

Government policy may have to take a tougher stance with the food industry – rather than just make recommendations – to ensure meaningful, healthy changes to restaurant menus, a new study from the University of Alberta suggests.

A study highlighting the behaviour over time of 122 Canadian households found that when some restaurants, as requested by Health Canada, voluntarily altered their menus to reduce harmful trans fats content, the changes were not completely successful in improving household diet quality. Consumers often switched restaurants, or spent less at establishments that had changed their menus, resulting in limited improvement in their diets

It’s a reaction that the federal government may not have expected when urging restaurants to cut back trans fats content in their menus, said Ellen Goddard, who conducted the study along with graduate researcher Jeewani Fernando in the Department of Rural Economy. Currently, Canada has taken the lead internationally in requiring trans fats to be labelled in processed foods, and has recommended that restaurants and food manufacturers cut harmful trans fats from their menus and recipes, but voluntary improvements at different times aren’t enough to ensure a healthier diet for Canadian diners, Goddard said.

"We can’t predict the health outcomes of a recommendation like this without accounting for the behavioural change of consumers," Goddard said. "This means that restaurant recipe changes do not necessarily improve the overall diet quality of the people who are eating out.

"For that to happen, there would need to be consistency regarding trans fats regulation in all menus."

The study’s findings illustrate the need for mandatory legislation for all restaurants and food processors to help guide food policy programs in Canada, said Goddard. "Our study found that there is potential for improvements in diet quality, especially for households who have children, if all menus are changed."

Restaurant and fast-food consumption is rising. What the average household spent on meals outside the home rose from 20.5 per cent in 1997 to 23.2 per cent in 2006.

(Source: University of Alberta: June 2009)