Ontario’s fast-food chains will soon have to reveal calorie counts on menus
It’s about to become a bit more difficult to avoid the shame associated with consuming an entire day’s calories in a single sitting. Thanks to legislation introduced earlier today by Liberal health minister Deb Matthews, Ontario will become the first province in Canada to require large restaurant chains to post calorie counts on their menus. While most big chains already have discrete pamphlets or wall posters listing calorie information, the legislation would require the numbers to be displayed right on the main menu screen—forcing customers to come face-to-face with calorie realities.
Whether this knowledge will discourage snackers from super-sizing every meal is yet to be determined. In New York, where mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced similar legislation, a study showed that visible calorie counts had little influence on food choices. Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne says it’s all about information, and that the new legislation is just one piece of a larger puzzle. We’re a bit skeptical about the actual impact this will have on Ontarians’ eating habits. For those who regularly roll into Wendy’s or McDonald’s, health-consciousness is probably not top of mind, anyway; and those who only indulge occasionally are unlikely to need the reminder in the first place. Plus, we suspect few people actively delude themselves into thinking their Whopper meal is a well-rounded dinner choice, whether or not the scary nutritional stats are front and centre.
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It’s about to become a bit more difficult to avoid the shame associated with consuming an entire day’s calories in a single sitting. Thanks to legislation introduced earlier today by Liberal health minister Deb Matthews, Ontario will become the first province in Canada to require large restaurant chains to post calorie counts on their menus. While most big chains already have discrete pamphlets or wall posters listing calorie information, the legislation would require the numbers to be displayed right on the main menu screen—forcing customers to come face-to-face with calorie realities.
Whether this knowledge will discourage snackers from super-sizing every meal is yet to be determined. In New York, where mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced similar legislation, a study showed that visible calorie counts had little influence on food choices. Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne says it’s all about information, and that the new legislation is just one piece of a larger puzzle. We’re a bit skeptical about the actual impact this will have on Ontarians’ eating habits. For those who regularly roll into Wendy’s or McDonald’s, health-consciousness is probably not top of mind, anyway; and those who only indulge occasionally are unlikely to need the reminder in the first place. Plus, we suspect few people actively delude themselves into thinking their Whopper meal is a well-rounded dinner choice, whether or not the scary nutritional stats are front and centre.){kind=link}
A few points.
First, the free market works best when consumers have the information necessary to make informed choices. We have this information immediately available for the food we buy from grocery stores. It’s unclear why we wouldn’t also have eat when we eat in chain restaurants.
Second, this is not just about Wendy’s and McDonald’s. It applies to all chain restaurants. Yes, someone ordering a Whopper meal at Burger King likely knows that a Whopper and fries are not a well-rounded nutritional choice. But do the patrons at sit-down chains like Boston Pizza and Casey’s know that their chicken caesar salad (for example), which they ordered because they mistakenly think a salad must have fewer calories than more indulgent items, likely has more calories than a Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s? Probably not. And what about that fancy cocktail the restaurant is promoting? Do they know that, notwithstanding the fact that it’s a drink, that it contains more calories than a large order of fries? The menus of chain restaurants are a minefield for anyone trying to make even somewhat healthy choices – it’s hard to know, unless you have the nutritional information, what the best choices are.
Third, even at the fast food chains, people are not always aware of the options they have. When having breakfast at McDonald’s, for example, many people would not know that a Sausage McGriddle has twice the calories of an Egg McMuffin. Shouldn’t people know that they can cut their calories significantly simply through their choice of breakfast sandwich, even if they’ve chosen to indulge at McDonald’s?
When it comes to basic information about the food we put in our bodies, where companies already have that information on hand and the experience in other jurisdictions is that it can be added to menus and menu boards quite easily, I believe that the consumer should be given the information and allowed to make his or her own informed choice.
All fantastic points, Canadianskeezix.
“While most big chains already have discrete pamphlets or wall posters listing calorie information”
While the pamphlets technically are discrete from chain to chain, I do suspect you mean ‘discreet’ here. Two different words, two different meanings.
Thanks for your input, Dave. I also prefer to read these posts in order to point out tiny grammatical errors rather than discuss the actual content.
(how mnay miktakes are in dis sentance?)
Skeezix, you inadvertently expose a flaw in this legislation with this “It applies to all chain restaurants”.
No, no it doesn’t. Only those with 20 locations or more in the province have to comply. which seems an arbitrary threshold. Funny you mention Casey’s… they have twenty locations in Ontario including two at Pearson AIrport in different terminals, which I’ll assume would be counted separately under this legislation. If they had one less location, poof – they’re exempt and no calorie information required. Does it make sense that Firkin pubs with 32 locations have to comply, while Fox & Fiddle with 18 gets a free pass… or the Keg has to, but business as usual for Earl’s and Canyon Creek with fewer locations. There are plenty more examples…. I would expect this to be promptly appealed.