UK fast food restaurants urged to put calorie-counts on menus
The British food watchdog is asking fast-food restaurants to add calorie-counts to their menus -- and want to adopt a set of "traffic light" labels that indicate dangerously high levels of salt, fat, sugar (or, presumably, eyeball-gnawing maggots, see post below). Pizza Hut is in.
Men in Britain now get a quarter of their food energy intake outside the home, while women get 21%. A number of chains, including KFC, Starbucks and McDonald's, already offer nutritional information on websites or leaflets, but now the catering industry will be expected to go far further. Officials at the agency hinted that if the calorie counting was a success, the drive for information could see an extension of the traffic light scheme, which applies to food sold in stores for home cooking and consumption. Red labels suggest levels of salt, sugar or fats are too high, amber shows they are at medium level and green at a low level. The calorie counting might also reduce portion sizes.Food watchdog puts calorie count on the takeaway menu
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If they're that concerned, they could all serve nothing but maggot cheese. National BMI would plummet.
how about scale-arches? The public randomly weighed to enforce waistline security? Over-eating does more measurable harm than any "terrorism".
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I'm pretty sure this is required in California now.
It's called 'Pasta Hut' here in Mud Island now. For realz. Because pasta doesn't make you fat, apparently. They've obviously never tried my Carbonara, however...
As if that's going to make any damn difference. People go to those fast 'food' places because they're either in a hurry, can't afford proper food or don't give a damn what they shovel into their bodies (often all three). I can just see the results now, dumb kids having calorie competitions to see how many they can cram in during one sitting. Seriously, there's just no point in doing this kind of thing until you get across the message that awful diet = poor health = dying young. Even then I doubt that many people will pay attention...
/end pessimistic rant
This was implemented in New York City sometime recently and I love it. It's great to be make a more informed choice about what I consume.
This is a great idea. The traffic light labels, especially, should serve as a better deterrent than calorie counts.
I have a feeling that people ordering something called "The Baconator" are already keenly aware that it's not healthy, and just don't give a damn.
Anyhow, the McDonalds near me has the calorie counts on the counter in easy view while you're ordering.
This is how the free market is supposed to work. Give people the information to make informed choices and change your menu to tailor to what people actually want to put in their bodies. Much better than just hiding the crap you encourage people to shovel in.
@ Kiltreiser: People go to those fast 'food' places because they're either in a hurry, can't afford proper food or don't give a damn what they shovel into their bodies (often all three).
I share your pessimism. Nutritional facts have been printed on most food products in stores all along and people still buy instant, pre-packaged and processed foods (which are as bad as junk food).
The problem is that most people either don't care or they are unable to interpret the information and apply it to their own personal context.
@ #7 - the thing is, it actually does make you think twice when you realize a chipotle burrito has over a thousand calories.
Or a Coffeebucks *whatever* has 400 calories. I stopped drinking anything but straight coffee + milk.
And of course, ALL beef products will have "Mad Cow" warnings.
Like 1984. They know how many calories you eat.