Cross-Sectional Nutritional Information and Quality of Canadian Chain Restaurant Menu Items in 2020

Introduction: More than 50% of Canadians report regularly eating foods prepared at restaurants. The literature shows poor nutritional quality of restaurant foods. No federal policy on improving the nutritional quality of restaurant food is available except for a provincial regulation that man-dates Ontario chain restaurants to display the energy content of items on menus. There is limited information on the nutrition information reporting and nutritional quality of restaurant foods. This study aimed to examine the nutrition information reporting and nutritional quality of menu items of Canadian chain restaurants in 2020. Methods: Nutrition information for menu items (n=18,760) was collected and analyzed from Canadian restaurants with >= 20 outlets nationally between 2020 and 2021. Menu items were catego-rized into 5 categories. Descriptive statistics were calculated for serving size, energy, and saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Percentage daily values of energy and nutrient levels were calculated follow-ing the Canadian labeling guidelines. Results: Of the 201 eligible chain restaurants, 141 (70%) provided some nutrition information, of which 70 (50%) voluntarily provided the complete nutrition information that is required on pre-packaged foods. Overall, menu items were high per serving in energy (mean kcal=483; 95% CI=477, 489), saturated fat (mean=7.4 g; 95% CI=7.2, 7.5), sodium (mean=867 mg; 95% CI=853, 881), and total sugars (mean=17 g; 95% CI=17, 17), and all exceeded the recommended 15% per-centage daily values threshold. Conclusions: Although most chain restaurants provided nutrition information, the lack of regula-tions regarding reporting format and provision of serving size and other nutrients challenges the assessment of the nutritional quality of menu items. Interventions to standardize nutrition informa-tion reporting and improve nutritional quality are needed in the restaurant sector. Am J Prev Med 2023;64(1):42-50. (c) 2022 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

More than 50% of Canadians regularly eat restaurant foods, which have been found to have poor nutritional quality. There is no federal policy in Canada to improve the nutritional quality of restaurant food, except for an Ontario regulation requiring chain restaurants to display energy content on menus. This study examined the nutrition information reporting and nutritional quality of Canadian chain restaurants' menu items in 2020. The findings highlight the need for standardized nutrition information reporting and interventions to improve the nutritional quality of restaurant foods.