Nutrition Labeling on Restaurant and Packaged Foods May Understate Calories

In the ongoing fight to combat obesity, consumers rely on nutrition labeling in order to assess and select prudent food choices.  In restaurants and supermarkets, it is essential that the listed data are accurate.  Susan B. Roberts, from Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues evaluated the accuracy of stated energy contents of reduced-energy restaurant foods and frozen meals purchased from supermarkets. The researchers found that measured energy values of 29 quick-serve and sit-down restaurant foods averaged 18% more than stated values, and measured energy values of 10 frozen meals purchased from supermarkets averaged 8% more than originally stated. Further, some individual restaurant items contained up to 200% of stated values and, in addition, free side dishes increased provided energy to an average of 245% of stated values for the entrees they accompanied. The team warns that: “If widespread, this phenomenon could hamper efforts to self-monitor energy intake to control weight, and could also reduce the potential benefit of recent policy initiatives to disseminate information on food energy content at the point of purchase.”