• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.243-250
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effect of nutrition labeling formats on parents' food choices for their children at different restaurant types. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online survey was conducted with 1,980 parents of children aged 3-12 years. Participants were randomly assigned to fast food or family restaurant scenarios, and one of four menu stimuli conditions: no labeling, low-calorie symbol (symbol), numeric value (numeric), and both low-calorie symbol and numeric value (symbol + numeric). Participants selected menu items for their children. Menu choices and total calories were compared by nutrition labeling formats in each type of the restaurant. RESULTS: Low-calorie item selections were scored and a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted for an interaction effect between restaurant and labeling type. In the fast food restaurant group, parents presented with low-calorie symbols selected the lowest calorie items more often than those not presented with the format. Parents in the symbol + numeric condition selected significantly fewer calories (653 kcal) than those in the no labeling (677 kcal) or numeric conditions (674 kcal) (P = 0.006). In the family restaurant group, no significant difference were observed among different labeling conditions. A significant interaction between restaurant and labeling type on low-calorie selection score (F = 6.03, P < 0.01) suggests that the effect of nutrition labeling format interplays with restaurant type to jointly affect parents' food choices for their children. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of easily interpretable nutritional information format at fast food restaurants may encourage healthier food choices of parents for their children; however, the effects were negligible at family restaurants.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.505-514
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• 2013

Effect of Menu Calorie Labels on Menu Sales and Consumer's Recognition at a Korean Restaurant in a Hotel The role of calorie information is to help consumers make healthier food choices. However, calorie information is generally unavailable in restaurants. Even in high-end hotel restaurants, which try to provide high quality foods and service, calorie labeling is not mandatory. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of calorie labeling on menu sales and consumer's recognition at a Korean restaurant in Kangwonland hotel. The calorie contents of 10 dishes sold in the restaurant were calculated using the food composition table. After making a new menu plate displaying calorie information, the new menu plate and old menu plate were provided every other week for 4 weeks. When we compared the sales between the periods of calorie labeled and calorie unlabeled, sales of 4 items among the 5 food items providing less than 1000 kcal, increased, however the 3 items among the menu providing more than 1000 kcal decreased. As the survey results of total 405 consumers (male n = 232, female n = 173) showed the new menu plate, 68.2% of subjects recognized calorie labeling on the menu plate. Among the subjects who recognized calorie labeling, 58.3% answered that calorie information affected their food choices. And most of them answered that they chose lower calorie foods based on the information provided. The results suggest that displaying calorie information on the menu plate at a Korean restaurant was effective in changing consumer's food choices.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.106-119
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine restaurant customers' use of menu labeling and their perception of menu labeling attributes. Further, the study investigated relations of menu labeling use behavior, and perception of menu labeling attributes with behavioral intentions toward menu labeling. Using a self-administered survey conducted for 2 weeks from the 2nd week of October, 2015, data were collected from restaurant customers who were exposed to menu labeling over 3 months at the time of the survey. A total of 426 respondents completed the survey. Respondents were asked about use of menu labeling, usefulness, ease of understanding, accuracy, and demographic information. There was a difference in menu labeling use behavior according to age, whereas respondents aged 50 years or over showed significantly higher use of menu labeling than those in 20s (P<0.001). Perceptions of menu labeling attributes positively affected behavioral intentions towards menu labeling. While all three menu labeling attributes, 'usefulness', 'ease of understanding', and 'accuracy', were positive factors for behavioral intentions towards menu labeling, usefulness was the biggest attribute explaining behavioral intentions (P<0.001). The study findings offer implications that can be applied to academics, the foodservice industry, and government in an attempt to nurture a healthy eating environment through provision of nutritional information at restaurants.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.282-290
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate the level and recognition and interest in nutrition labeling in restaurants according to consumer interest levels in health and to suggest its application to restaurant lunches. By considering various statistics and data on the frequency of reasons for dining-out, this study examined worker restaurant lunches and investigated the level of recognition of interest in nutrition labeling, the type of nutrition information that is of interest and the preferred format of labeling according to the level of interest in health. According to the results, while the frequency of dining-out by workers was high, their consideration for health and nutrition labeling in restaurants was low. However, a high percentage of consumers responded that nutrition labeling was a customer right and necessary to improve the quality of menu items as well as public health. Therefore, active promotion of nutrition labeling in the dining industry is necessary. Interest levels in additives, product origin and menu ingredients indicated in restaurant menus were higher than for nutritional information such as nutrients and calories. When the preferred format for providing nutrition information was investigated, consumers preferred information written on a menu board, and they wanted to broaden the range of information included in nutrition labeling for menu items beyond calories and nutritional facts. Based on these results, recognition of nutrition labeling in restaurants was found to below and the interest level in health was also lower than expected. However, most consumers responded that nutrition labeling was helpful in choosing menu items can be a tool for nutrition education and can play a role in improving the recognition of nutrition. Therefore, active promotion of nutrition labeling by the dining industry is necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2015

Restaurants implement menu labeling to provide nutritional information to customers in an attempt to help customers select healthy menu items. Considering the increase in food-away-from-home consumption, the purpose of this study was to identify motivators and barriers in restaurant customers regarding use of menu labeling. Data were collected from a survey on restaurant customers in Seoul, Korea. The findings of this study indicate that customers used menu labeling for health reasons. However, barriers to using menu labeling were identified as small font size, difficulty in locating nutritional information display, and difficulty in interpreting nutritional information. In addition, they also suggested expanding the scope of menu labeling for restaurants by including chain restaurants with less than 100 units. The findings of this study offer strategies for the government to improve menu labeling practices for customers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2014

We studied customer recognition and understanding of menu labeling as well as the correlations between customer support for menu labeling and multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, dinning-out behavior, and menu selection criteria. This study designed a survey and received responses from 351 individuals. The analysis results reveal that most respondents did not acknowledge menu labeling or lacked knowledge of it. Many of the respondents showed experience in ordering from menus with ingredient labels, but many showed no interest in menu labeling. Exactly 114 (32.5%) respondents showed support of menu labeling, and most were interested in levels of trans-fat, fat, and cholesterol. The respondents reported that menu labeling should be implemented more in fast-food restaurants and causal dinning restaurants. This study also analyzed how customer menu selection criteria are related to support level of menu labeling. Respondents were classified into three groups based on their support level for menu labeling (low medium high), after which correlations between customer menu selection criteria and support level were examined. Respondents in the high support group considered all menu selection criteria (i.e., ingredients, health, and consideration of calories). GLM analysis showed that monthly dining-out expenses were highly related to support level with a significance level of 0.05, and the interaction between monthly dining-out expenses and respondents' jobs also affected support level with a significance level of 0.01.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.420-429
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• 2009

The purposes of this study were to investigate the perception of nutrition labeling on restaurant menus, and to analyze the differences among subject's characteristics, eating-out behaviors, and dietary attitudes. Information concerning general characteristics, health status, eating-out behaviors and dietary attitudes of subjects was collected by a structured questionnaire. From January 5th to February 27th in 2009, 406 questionnaires were completed by 157 males and 249 females. Statistical analyses were performed using by SPSS 14.0 package program. The perception of the importance of nutrition labeling was 3.89, while knowledge of whether restaurants provided sufficient nutrition information scored 2.26 indicating that being highly conscious of nutrition labeling, respondents did not view the supplied information as sufficient. Nutritional perception was greater in females and varied in both genders with age and health status. Significant differences concerning the perceptions of nutrition labeling were evident, based on eating-out behaviors and dietary attitudes. The results imply that nutrition labeling on restaurant menus should be based on consumer characteristics. Relevant nutrition labeling might help improve health by encouraging proper dietary habits and providing valuable nutritional information. Recognition of the importance of nutrition labeling and strategic implementation of labeling in menus would be prudent strategies for restaurant managers. (Korean J Community Nutrition 14(4) : 420${\sim}$429, 2009)

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.286-297
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study compared the perception of customers from Korea and the U.S. on the attributes of different formats of menu labeling The specific objectives were 1) to compare the customers' perceived usefulness, ease-of-understanding, clarity, and attractiveness of different formats of menu labeling between Korea and the U.S.; and 2) to compare the customers' use intention to different formats of menu labeling between Korea and the U.S. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A survey was conducted in Korea and the U.S. The participants were allocated randomly to view 1 of the 7 restaurant menus that varied according to the following types of menu labeling formats: (type 1) kcal format, (type 2) traffic-light format, (type 3) percent daily intake (%DI) format, (type 4) kcal + traffic-light format, (type 5) kcal + %DI format, (type 6) traffic-light + %DI format, and (type 7) kcal + traffic-light + %DI format. A total of 279 Koreans and 347 Americans were entered in the analysis. An independent t-test and 1-way analysis of variance were performed. RESULTS: Koreans rated type 4 format (kcal + traffic light) the highest for usefulness and attractiveness. In contrast, Americans rated type 7 (kcal + traffic light + %DI) the highest for usefulness, ease-of-understanding, attractiveness, and clarity. Significant differences were found in the customers' perceived attributes to menu labeling between Korea and the U.S. Americans perceived higher for all the 4 attributes of menu labeling than Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: The study is unique in identifying the differences in the attributes of different formats of menu labeling between Korea and the U.S. Americans rated the most complicated type of menu labeling as the highest perception for the attributes, and showed a higher use intention of menu labeling than Koreans. This study contributes to academia and industry for practicing menu labeling in different countries using different formats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.394-405
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to develop a nutrition policy on food and nutrition labeling and education systems for fast food and carbonated soft drinks in Korea by identifying the fast food and soft drink use and by examining nutrition policies and labeling in Korea and other countries. Fast food is defined as food dispensed quickly at a restaurant generally offering a limited menu of inexpensive items, which may be mostly not nutritious. It is a growing component of the Korean diet, especially on children and adolescent population. Low nutrient dense beverages such as carbonated drinks are also increasing in the children and adolescent's diet in Korea and concern has been raised that these beverages may replace more nutritious beverage and provide empty calories. According to 2001 Korean national health and nutrition survey, fast food and carbonated soft drinks were most popular among 13 - 19 years old adolescents. Thirty six and 72 percent of adolescents consumed hamburger and carbonated beverage equal to or more than once a week, respectively. In United States, all processed food including soft drinks should disclose full nutrition information by nutrition labeling requirement.. Restaurant foods are not required to provide nutrition information currently, but legislation on mandatory nutrition labeling of fast foods with other restaurant foods has been proposed currently in US. The sales of foods of minimal nutritional value, such as soft drinks, in the nation's schools is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrition information about fast food in US has been provided by fast food companies, non-profit organizations, hospitals and government through internet, booklet and brochure, etc, but the information is available from only a few resources in Korea. This study suggests a nutrition policy on fast food and soft drink use which includes establishing mandatory nutrition labeling and developing nutrition education materials and programs by web-site, booklet and government and school programs in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 2010

Now a days, people eat outside of the home more and more frequently. Menu labeling can help people make more informed decisions about the foods they eat and help them maintain a healthy diet. This study was conducted to develop menu labeling system using Nutri-API (Nutrition Analysis Application Programming Interface). This system offers convenient user interface and menu labeling information with printout format. This system provide useful functions such as new food/menu nutrients information, retrieval food semantic service, menu plan with subgroup and nutrient analysis informations and print format. This system provide nutritive values with nutrient information and ratio of 3 major energy nutrients. MLS system can analyze nutrients for menu and each subgroup. And MLS system can display nutrient comparisons with DRIs and % Daily Nutrient Values. And also this system provide 6 different menu labeling formate with nutrient information. Therefore it can be used by not only usual people but also dietitians and restaurant managers who take charge of making a menu and experts in the field of food and nutrition. It is expected that Menu Labeling System (MLS) can be useful of menu planning and nutrition education, nutrition counseling and expert meal management.