The change in food service costs associated with increasing the healthiness of ready-to-eat food provision: A systematic scoping review

Abstract

Increasing the healthiness of food retail environments is an identified mechanism to help halt rising rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Previous studies on healthy food environment adoption report that retailers' perceptions of loss of profitability and higher food costs are often barriers to change. Despite this, actual changes to profitability and food costs have not been fully explored. This study aimed to systematically scope the evidence relating to changes to food costs or profitability when changes are made to increase the healthiness of food and drinks sold by food service retailers. Nine databases were searched, with studies included from settings that sold ready-to-consume items, with interventions to increase the healthiness of menus, and reporting food environment/nutrition outcomes, and cost/profit outcomes. Of the 12 studies included, the majority were conducted in the United States and in school settings. Most studies indicated that increasing the healthiness of food service retail environments resulted in neutral or favorable financial outcomes. Food costs and/or profit changes were most often monitored via simple accounting measures. While further research is needed to strengthen the evidence on financial outcomes of healthier food provision, this review indicates that some perceived barriers to change may not be warranted.