Response of the consumers to the menu calorie-labeling on online food ordering applications in Saudi Arabia
The use of online food ordering applications is widespread; however, to date, there have been no studies on the effect of the menu calorie labeling in online food ordering applications on the consumers' dietary habits and food choices in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the...
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| Published in: | BMC nutrition Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 25 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
England
BioMed Central
02-02-2024
BMC |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | The use of online food ordering applications is widespread; however, to date, there have been no studies on the effect of the menu calorie labeling in online food ordering applications on the consumers' dietary habits and food choices in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the response of the consumers to the menu energy-labeling on online food ordering applications in Saudi Arabia by exploring: (a) the consumers' preference and frequency of ordering from online food applications; (b) the consumers' self-reported knowledge, awareness, and interest towards menu calorie information on online food ordering applications; (c) the impact of menu calorie information on online food ordering applications on consumers' food choices.
This is a cross-sectional study conducted between October and November of 2022. A total of 419 participants were recruited using an online questionnaire.
The findings showed that most participants (59%) preferred to order using online food ordering applications. Saving time and effort are the main reasons for using online food ordering applications (61%). Nearly half of the participants (45%) were interested in viewing calorie information on online food ordering applications menus and (47%) did notice calorie information displayed on the menu when ordering from an online food ordering application. Calorie information in online food ordering applications menus is primarily utilized to monitor intake for weight maintenance (19%). The ability to calculate energy requirements and interest in viewing calorie information on online food ordering applications menus were linked to younger age and a higher level of education (p < 0.05).
Overall, consumers showed limited awareness and interest towards the menu calorie information displayed in the online food ordering applications. These findings highlight the importance of developing public health programs to increase public awareness about calorie labeling on menus to aid in the success and effectiveness of the calorie labeling in online food ordering applications as a tool to promote balanced energy intake. Further research is needed to understand the most effective way to deliver calorie information to consumers on an online food ordering application. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 2055-0928 2055-0928 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s40795-024-00829-x |