Effectiveness of Alternative Approaches to Menu Labeling in 
             Ontario Restaurants: An Eye Tracking Analysis 
                          by 
                       Yeyang Zhang 
                         A Thesis 
                        presented to  
                     The University of Guelph 
                   In partial fulfilment of requirements 
                       for the degree of 
                       Master of Science 
                          in 
                  Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics 
                     Guelph, Ontario, Canada 
                     © Yeyang Zhang, May 2020 
                                                     ABSTRACT 
               EFFECTIVENESS OF ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO MENU LABELING 
                      IN ONTARIO RESTAURANTS: AN EYE TRACKING ANALYSIS 
                
               Yeyang Zhang                                                                     Advisors: 
               University of Guelph, 2020                                                       Dr. Mike von Massow 
                                                                                                Dr. Yu Na Lee 
                      This research examines whether consumers observe and respond to the nutritional 
               information on menu labels in Canada. It uses eye tracking technology to evaluate the 
               effectiveness of the Health Menu Choices Act. We created an experiment to estimate participant 
               responses to menu labels that would meet the requirements of the Act. We also evaluated 
               alternatives menu labeling methods include percent Daily Value (%DV) of calories label, Traffic 
               Light (TL) label, and Physical Activity Calorie Equivalent label. The results find that the TL 
               label brought the most considerable visual attention. Percent DV labels affected the Canadian 
               consumer the most as compared to other three labeling schemes, and significantly reduced total 
               calories ordered by participants. Our study suggests that nutrition information label does have 
               impacts on ordering fewer calories when consumers are familiar with the format of labels and 
               nutrition information labels on the menu helped consumers to improve their food decisions.                          
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                       ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
           For sharing their knowledge and expertise, opening the great opportunity to this field of 
        research that I have dreamed about since undergraduate study, I would like to express my deep 
        gratitude and respect to my co-advisors, Dr. Mike von Massow and Dr. Yu Na Lee. Their 
        expertise and enthusiasm for research were motivational and contributed to my development as a 
        researcher. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee for their support and 
        motivation. 
           I would like to thank my peers, Andrew Bayham, Laura Stortz, Lauren Sirrs, Benjamin 
        Auld, Fuzhen Huang, Elsie Richmond, Yida Zhang, and Jenna Holtz (not in particular order), 
        who were amazing colleagues and friends to work with and helped me through my experiment. I 
        would also like to thank all faculties, staffs, and the rest of my peers who make me laugh and to 
        be strong after a long working day. I will never forget these past two years, and I am fortunate to 
        have encountered a group of warm and reliable people along the way. With these people, we 
        made the FARE a family. 
           I would like to acknowledge the full funded scholarship and financial support received 
        from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. 
           This research could not have been possible without the encouragement and love from my 
        parents, family and friends. Last but not least, dedicated to the memory of my grandma, who did 
        not need me to be successful but always wanted me to be happy in my life. 
                                               
                                 
         
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                                                      TABLE OF CONTENTS 
                  
                 Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii 
                 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii 
                 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv 
                 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii 
                 List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii 
                 List of Appendices ......................................................................................................................... ix 
                 1     Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 
                    1.1    Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 
                    1.2    Relevance and Motivation ................................................................................................ 4 
                    1.3    Economic Research Problem ............................................................................................ 5 
                    1.4    Purpose and Objectives ..................................................................................................... 5 
                    1.5    Thesis Organization .......................................................................................................... 7 
                 2     Literature Review.................................................................................................................... 8 
                    2.1    The Obesity Pandemic and Healthy Diet .......................................................................... 8 
                    2.2    Background on Nutrition Labeling ................................................................................. 10 
                    2.3    Percent Daily Value Labeling ......................................................................................... 15 
                    2.4    Traffic Light Labeling..................................................................................................... 17 
                    2.5    Physical Activity Labeling .............................................................................................. 20 
                    2.6    The Nutrition Information on Restaurant Menus............................................................ 22 
                    2.7    Eye Tracking Technology ............................................................................................... 26 
                    2.8    Eye Tracking Technology in Consumer Research .......................................................... 29 
                    2.9    Research Gap .................................................................................................................. 32