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Greenhouse Gas Emission Menu Icons Decrease Service of All Menu Items in Residential Dining Halls at a Large,
Andrew D Jones1, Lesli Hoey2, Cindy W Leung3
1School of Public Health, University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Background:
Reducing food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential for meeting global climate goals. Consumer information food labels are often associated with healthier diet choices, although less is known about the influence of environment-focused food labels.
Objective:
Determine the effect of GHG emission menu icons on the service and intake of high-emission menu items in residential dining halls of a large, midwestern public US university.
Design:
A cluster-randomized mixed-methods study design was employed. Three matched pairs of dining halls were randomized to intervention or control status. Data were collected on the amount of menu items served at dining halls; recent diet intake among a survey of frequent diners; and changes in food choices in response to menu icons among focus group participants.
Participants And Setting:
The study was conducted in 6 residential dining halls. Foodservice data were based on 1 017 447 entries into dining halls; data were analyzed from 799 frequent diners who submitted survey responses at baseline (January 2022) and follow-up (March to April 2022). Five focus groups were conducted with 23 frequent diners in total across all groups.
Intervention:
Traffic light-style GHG emission menu icons, representing the life cycle emissions of recipes, were displayed on all menu items in intervention dining halls for 10 weeks following a 4-week baseline period, alongside informational materials explaining the icons.
Main Outcome Measures:
The difference between treatment groups in the change in per-person service (in grams) of high-emission menu items from baseline to follow-up.
Statistical Analyses:
Generalized estimating equations using a gamma distribution and log link function were used to model treatment effects.
Results:
Analyses of all menu items served indicated that per-person service (in grams) of high-, moderate-, and low-GHG emission menu items was lower at follow-up compared with baseline in intervention dining halls. This observed decline in service was statistically significantly greater than the change in service in control dining halls, wherein service declined more modestly or increased. Examining menu items that were exactly matched within dining hall pairs, only the service of low-emission menu items within intervention halls declined to a greater extent compared with control halls. Data from self-reports of recent diet by frequent diners showed no statistically significant treatment effects for the frequency of intake of any food category or overall diet quality.
Conclusions:
GHG emission menu icons may not be sufficient to shift consumer food choices at scale in university dining settings.
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