This document discusses emerging best practices for menu labelling in Ontario. It provides background on menu labelling, highlighting why it is important given high eating out frequencies and excess calories and sodium in restaurant foods. The nutritional profile of an average Canadian sit-down restaurant meal is presented, showing it provides over half the daily calories and 150% of the daily sodium needs. Various health organizations are calling for regulatory action on menu labelling. The document outlines Ontario's progress on menu labelling legislation and key elements of an effective program, such as a consistent approach across foodservice chains and prominently displayed calorie and sodium information.

1. Emerging Best
Practices for Menu
Labelling in Ontario
Lyndsay Davidson, RD, BASc
Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health
(OSNPPH)

2. Can you spot the difference between
these two menus?

3. What is Menu
Labelling?
• Menu labelling applies
principles of food labelling
to the eating out
environment.
• Menu labelling makes clear
and standardized
information about the
nutrient content of food
available at the point of
purchase in restaurants and
other foodservices
establishments.

4. Why Menu Labelling?
• High frequency of eating out
• Excess levels of calories and sodium in
restaurant foods
• Highly variable levels of calories and sodium
within the same food category
• Consumers can’t estimate nutrient content
• Consumers have a right to know
• May lead to healthier choices and contribute
to reduced obesity and chronic disease rates
• May lead to nutritionally beneficial food
reformulations
• Consumers want nutrition information

5. What’s the Nutritional Profile of an Average
Meal at a Canadian Sit-Down Restaurant?

6. Average Sit-down Restaurant
Meal
Note:
• More than half of the calories
needed per day
• One and a half times (151%) the
amount of sodium needed per day
• Includes an appetizer and main, but
not dessert (dessert would add an
additional 549 calories)
• Meals identified by the restaurants
as being “healthy” were low in
calories but still had half the amount
of sodium needed per day
Scourboutakos, MJ, Semnani-Azad, Z & L’Abbe, MR. JAMA Internal Medicine, May 2013.

7. Calls for Regulatory Action on Menu Labelling
• Institute of Medicine
• Canada’s Sodium Reduction
Strategy
• Ontario Medical Association
• Cancer Care Ontario and
Public Health Ontario
• Ontario’s Healthy Kids Panel
• OSNPPH
• Centre for Science in the
Public Interest
• Toronto Public Health

8. OSNPPH Menu Labelling Workgroup
Key Points:
• menu labelling should be
required through legislation
• calorie and sodium values
should be prominently posted
on the menu or menu board
• full nutrition information
should be available at the point
of purchase for all standard
menu items
• reference values for calories
and sodium should be on the
menu or menu board

10. Provincial Progress on Menu Labelling
“Parents have told us
they want our
support in keeping
their kids healthy. We
are committed to
giving parents and
their kids the
information they
need to make healthy
choices. “ – Ontario
Health Minister Deb
Matthews

11. MOHLTC Menu Labelling Consultation
The government was seeking advice on the best way
to put menu labelling in place, including:
• Who the legislation would apply to
• What nutrition information would be included
• How nutrition information would be posted and made
available
• How to best implement legislation/regulations, including
time required for implementation
• How best to monitor and enforce legislation/regulations

12. Key Elements of a Menu Labelling
Program for Restaurants in Ontario
• Focus on foodservice chains that have the
capacity to do menu labeling
•Apply a consistent approach across different
types of foodservice chains (e.g., quick-service,
full-service, buffet, drive-thru, cafeteria, grocery
store outlets, etc.)
• Ensure consistency across Ontario through a
provincial quality assurance function
• Ensure key nutrient information is prominently
displayed and additional nutrition information is
readily available at the point of purchase
•Be appropriately resourced to ensure it is
properly implemented, monitored and
evaluated for effectiveness and impact
•Be supported through public education

13. What else is OSNPPH Advocating for?
• Inclusion of calories and sodium on
the menu/menu board
• Sodium values, not sodium warnings
• Prohibiting the inclusion of other
nutrients on the menu/menu board
• Full nutrition information available at
the point of purchase for those with
special dietary needs
• Reference values or contextual
statements on the menu/menu board
• A phased-in approach to ensure
timely introduction and
implementation of menu labelling
legislation

14. Questions?
info@osnpph.on.ca