title: Influence of menu labeling on food choices in real-life settings: a systematic review.
abstract: Evidence that menu labeling influences food choices in real-life settings is lacking. Reviews usually focus on calorie counts without addressing broader issues related to healthy eating.
  
  
  
  This systematic review assessed the influence of diverse menu-labeling formats on food choices in real-life settings.
  
  
  
  Several databases were searched: Cochrane Library, Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, Biological Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, EconLit, SciELO, and LILACS.
  
  
  
  Articles reporting experiments, quasi-experiments, and observational studies using control or preintervention groups were selected blindly by two reviewers.
  
  
  
  Data was extracted using a standard form. Analyses differentiated between foodservice types. The quality of the 38 included studies was assessed blindly by two reviewers.
  
  
  
  The results were mixed, but a partial influence of menu labeling on food choices was more frequent than an overall influence or no influence. Menu labeling was more effective in cafeterias than in restaurants. Qualitative information, such as healthy-food symbols and traffic-light labeling, was most effective in promoting healthy eating. In general, the studies were of moderate quality and did not use control groups.
  
  
  
  Calorie labeling in menus is not effective to promote healthier food choices. Further research in real-life settings with control groups should test diverse qualitative information in menu labeling.
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. rossana.costa@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Rossana P C
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Proença
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cintia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Curioni
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: A.C. Fernandes, R.C. Oliveira, R.P.C. Proença, V.M. Rodrigues, and G.M.R. Fiates are with the Nutrition Postgraduate Program (Programa de Pós-graduação em Nutrição), Nutrition in Foodservice Research Centre (Núcleo de Pesquisa de Nutrição em Produção de Refeições - NUPPRE), Federal University of Santa Catarina (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. C.C. Curioni is with the Department of Social Nutrition, Institute of Nutrition, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovanna M R
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fiates
mesh_terms: D000072001:Diet, Healthy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005515:Food Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D016239:MEDLINE; D008612:Menu Planning; D012147:Restaurants
keywords: catering; food labeling; healthy eating; nutrition information; public health.