Hodge comments on menu calorie counts, consumer choices

Professor James G. Hodge Jr. of the College of Law was interviewed for an article on TakePart.com by staff writer Shari Roan on Nov. 27.

The article, titled “Will Menu Calorie Counts Impact Consumer Choices?” explored an enhanced type of nutritional menu labeling law that provides additional information on the fat, sodium and sugar content of meals, and asks the question, “Should restaurants be required to list more than just calorie information on menus in a clear, understandable way?”

Hodge said supplemental nutritional menu labeling doesn't impinge on consumer freedom because it provides people with information that they can act on or ignore.

"Certain food retailers and vendors will be looking to take nutritional menu labeling to the next step," he said. "They will not require the government to have to mandate it. And I do think you'll see more demand from consumers for this data to be shown on site."

To read the full article, click here.

Hodge is a national expert on public health emergency, legal and ethical preparedness and public health information privacy law and policy. He is the ASU Lincoln Professor of Health Law and Ethics, and in 2010 he was named Director of the Public Health Law Network - Western Region.