Restaurant nutrition and health information in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil: expectations of managers with respect to benefits and obstacles

Abstract

A survey was conducted, using an instrument with questions aimed at characterising the restaurants and the opinion of the managers in making nutrition and health information available in their establishments. Twenty managers from fast food restaurants and 94 from full service restaurants from the Campinas were interviewed. The chi-square test and t tests, plus the ANOVA test followed by the least significant difference means test, were performed with the aid of the XLSTAT and MINITAB programs. Among the expected benefits, the factor ‘improve the image of the foodservice’ was significantly more important than factors such as ‘increase revenue’. Of the expected obstacles, the factor ‘increase in operational costs’ was significantly more important than factors such as ‘lack of knowledge’ and ‘lack of time by the employees’. For greater adhesion to the action of providing nutrition information in restaurants, low-cost alternatives for the implementation of this activity must be created.