Oxford study finds most restaurant meals unhealthy

New research by the University of Oxford has revealed that only 43 per cent of dishes on offer at the UK’s 21 highest-grossing restaurant chains met all their voluntary targets for sugar, salt, and calorie reduction, as set by the UK Government.

The targets for manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants were introduced from 2016 to reduce sugar, salt, and calorie content as foods high in energy, saturated fat, free sugars, and salt have been linked with an increased risk of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases.

The targets set different timelines: 2020 for sugar, 2024 for salt, and 2025 for calorie reductions.

Despite these targets, progress in the restaurant sector remains limited.

Alice O’Hagan, lead author of the study, from the University of Oxford, said: “Our findings demonstrate that there was low adherence to the UK Government’s sugar, salt, and calorie reduction targets in 2024.

“This is consistent with other research that finds limited effectiveness of voluntary regulation on reformulation, suggesting that mandatory regulation may be a more effective approach to improving the nutritional quality of out-of-home food.

“Food within the same subcategory varied in adherence to the targets, with salads and breakfast items having the highest overall adherence, and desserts and pizzas the lowest.

“However, there were examples of companies across all subcategories performing well, indicating that performance is not constrained by the type of cuisine being offered.”

Researchers gathered nutritional information from menus and restaurant websites from the 21 highest-grossing restaurant chains in the UK in 2024, analysing the proportion of dishes that met the targets.

Nine of the 21 had more than half of their menu items meet all applicable targets.

Papa John’s had the lowest compliance for calories and salt, at just 35 per cent for calories and 8 per cent for salt.

Burger King, KFC, Nando’s, and Vintage Inns had no menu items compliant with the sugar reduction target.

Ms O’Hagan said: “Our study shows that the UK Government’s voluntary sugar, salt, and calorie reduction targets were not being met consistently.

“Only 43 per cent of menu items met all of the targets they were eligible for, and adherence to the targets varied widely between restaurants and food categories, showing that healthier menus are achievable but are not yet the norm.”

Dr Lauren Bandy, a senior researcher in food policy and population health at Oxford and study co-author, said: “Voluntary targets alone are not delivering consistent improvements in the salt, sugar or calorie content of food items on offer in UK restaurants.

“Our findings highlight the potential value of stricter regulation in the out-of-home sector.”