ResearchResearch and Professional BriefThe Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods
Section snippets
Methods
This study involved measurement of the energy content of 39 commercially prepared restaurant foods and supermarket frozen convenience meals obtained in the Boston, MA, area, and comparison of measured values with nutrition information stated by the vendor or manufacturer. The restaurant chains included in the study were selected as a convenience sample of quick-serve and sit-down restaurant chains with broad distribution throughout the United States who provided information on nutrient contents
Statistical Methods
Although formal statistical methods do not apply to convenience samples, standard statistical tests were employed to summarize the data for exploratory purposes and to suggest directions for future study. Differences in energy content (measured vs stated) were therefore compared by using two-sided t tests of whether the observed mean was within sampling variability of zero. Multifactor analysis of variance was used to examine potential predictors of the percent difference between stated and
Results and Discussion
The energy contents of individual foods are given in the Table, and Figure 1 illustrates percent differences between measured and stated values. On average, restaurant foods contained 18% more energy than stated; however, there was substantial variability in the difference between measured and stated values, and some foods contained twice as much energy as stated. The measured energy content of supermarket-purchased meals was also greater than stated values, by 8%. There was no statistically
Conclusions
Mean measured energy contents of reduced-energy restaurant and supermarket meals in this pilot study exceeded vendor-stated amounts by substantially more than could be accounted for by laboratory measurement error. Although the discrepancies were within acceptable limits based on federal regulations for most packaged and restaurant foods (which are not subject to these federal regulations) some restaurant foods did have measured energy contents that were double those stated by the restaurant,
L. E. Urban is a doctoral degree student, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
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2023, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsCitation Excerpt :In line with previous research,7 the formula was: ([Pre-weight (g) from the QSR − Average weight of leftovers (g)] × kcal/g from the QSR) Energy (kcal) of the leftover food was determined by BC, which is accurate to a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of −1.9 ± 0.3%19,23 and has been used to measure kilocalorie content of QSR leftovers.22 Data came from a separate sub-study within the larger trial.22
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2019, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsCitation Excerpt :Urban and colleagues22 reported 8% to 18% higher mean stated energy in 39 low-energy prepared items in restaurants and supermarkets in Boston, MA, in 2010, but found no statistically significant differences between mean stated and measured energy in 269 restaurant items across three states in 2010. As observed in NDL’s analyses for sodium and related nutrients, Urban and colleagues22 reported considerable variability in discrepancies between declared and laboratory energy values for restaurant foods, although they found that labels tended to underdeclare energy content.22,23 In this study, about one-fifth of the major sodium-contributing foods had absolute differences >20% for sodium content, but it is encouraging that the proportion of foods with ratios >120% for sodium were lower in the present study than in earlier reports or in other countries.38-40
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2018, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsCitation Excerpt :Using bomb calorimeters to test the actual energy content in restaurant dishes, Urban and colleagues9 found that 20% of tested samples contained at least 100 calories per portion more than stated, and 10% contained an average of 250 calories more than stated. These researchers also found that low-calorie foods were particularly prone to labeling error, containing on average 18% more calories than stated, with some dishes containing twice the stated calories.8 In a university with contracted food services, Feldman and colleagues13 found >10% average discrepancy between measured and labeled nutrients.
L. E. Urban is a doctoral degree student, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
E. Saltzman is chair, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
L. M. Ausman is Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professor in International Nutrition, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
G. E. Dallal is director, Biostatistics Unit, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
L. M. Robinson is a research dietitian, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
S. B. Roberts is director, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.