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This loophole means food apps can get away with not providing the required information without fear of reprisal.
Separate research, including Jia’s own, has found people rarely use online food delivery services to purchase healthy foods, which comprise less than 20 per cent of the options available.
“[People are] ordering late on a Saturday night, they’re ordering typical unhealthy foods like burgers, pizza, fried chicken,” she says. “And they’re using a lot of promotions on these apps. So we know that they’re not good for our health, but they’re so accessible and so convenient.”
But, nutrition labels do encourage small improvements in the choices people make. This matters when overweight and obesity affects at least 25 per cent of Australian children and 67 per cent of adults.
An Uber Eats spokesperson said they would continue to expand their restaurant offerings – they currently have 50,000 – “while also using enhanced product design to help customers easily navigate to selections they’re interested in and to surface information that is important to them”.
The George Institute for Global Health food policy research fellow Damian Maganja said the findings are similar to the inconsistencies they have seen in online supermarkets.
Research has found people rarely use online food delivery services to purchase healthy foods.Credit: Edwina Pickles
“Honest labelling can help people make informed decisions about the food they’re buying, but it’s not much use if that information isn’t easily visible or available at all,” said Maganja, who was not involved with the new study.
Jia and her colleagues advise people against using delivery services frequently (once a week or more) and say their findings highlight the need to update public health nutrition policies on menu labelling to include the digital food environment.
“The NSW Government is working hand in hand with all jurisdictions on a coordinated national approach to menu labelling,” said Tara Moriarty from the office of minister for agriculture.
“In November 2022, it was recognised by all states and territories that a national approach to menu labelling was required and agreed on the development of a policy guideline.
“Food Standards Australia New Zealand have been requested to prepare a proposal for a food regulatory measure for menu labelling under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.”
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