Fast Food Outlets In The UK Reveal Calorie Count

The calorie value of fast food menu items will be put on view in a number of fast food outlets in the UK. This is in response to an initiative by the Department of Health in which people are encouraged to make healthier food choices.

McDonald’s is using wall-mounted menu boards in order to reveal information about various menu items. These facts will be available in all McDonald’s restaurants in the UK as of September 4. The fast food chain is also working to remove artificial trans fats from its menu.

Other fast food outlets have joined the initiative, which is part of a UK government plan to battle obesity. KFC, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut along with McDonald’s, are joining the program to make public the calorie value of food on their menus. Other fast food chains are expected to follow.

This is not the first time that McDonald’s has revealed the calorie count in its fast food menu items. McDonald’s restaurants are already displaying this information in New York City where calorie labeling by fast food chains has been in effect since 2007.

While most people applaud the idea of giving fast food customers an informed choice regarding menu items, it is not clear whether calorie labeling actually influences their decisions when it comes to purchasing a fast food meal. It has been pointed out that most people patronize fast food restaurants in order to enjoy junk food, regardless of the health consequences.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/05/mcdonalds-introduces-calorie-count