Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In the spring of 2008, the Cornell Dining Service placed nutrition labels on various prepackaged meals throughout campus. Food sales data were analyzed before and after the nutrition labels were put into effect. While a number of previous studies have shown that consumers claim to read nutrition labels when purchasing foods, most of these studies have relied on self-reported data. Previous studies have also shown that consumers may not be able to use the information on nutrition labels correctly. Therefore, this study sought to determine whether the introduction of nutrition labels helped the Cornell community to purchase healthier food items. Foods sold in dining locations throughout campus were categorized by their amount of calories, fat, sodium, percent calories from fat, and fiber. Food sales data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 14.0) to test for how sales data changed from the spring of 2007 to the spring of 2008. The results indicated that there were significant effects of the nutrition labels on which foods were purchased between the two years. Specifically, there was a decrease in the percentage of foods sold with high calories, fat, percent calories from fat, and sodium. However, there was also a decrease in the percentage of sales due to high fiber foods. This study has public policy implications, as menu-labeling laws are becoming more popular across the nation.
Source: eCommons (Cornell University)
Author: Jamie A. Rosenthal
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W48445052