McDonald's UK Menus To Show Calorie Counts

LONDON -- You know it's fattening, but now the hard numbers – 490 calories – may force you to rethink buying that Big Mac in Britain.

About 1,200 McDonald's restaurants in the U.K. will this week begin displaying the calorie count of each food and drink item on their wall-mounted menu boards, as part of a government-led program to fight obesity and promote healthier eating, the chain said Sunday.

McDonald's already puts calorie information on its Web site and the back of its tray liners, but this is the first time the figures will be displayed prominently in its restaurants outside the U.S.

The chain has similar calorie menu boards in New York City, which became the first in the U.S. to put a calorie-posting law in place in 2008.

The British program is voluntary, and relies on partnering companies to fulfill their health pledges. Aside from calorie labeling, McDonald's has also promised to remove artificial trans fats from its products, although it did not sign up to a salt reduction pledge.

Other chains that have signed up to the British Department of Health calorie display program include KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks.

Comments

[rmaguro]

11:11 PM on 09/06/2011

McDonald's uses differnt additives in their US McNuggets in the US than they do in British McNuggets according to an article in CNN Health called "All McNuggets not created equal" which stated:
"American McNuggets (190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat for 4 pieces) contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product. They also contain dimethylpolysiloxane, “an anti-foaming agent” also used in Silly Putty.
By contrast, British McNuggets (170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat for 4 pieces) lists neither chemical among its ingredients."

I stopped eating there since reading the article.

[hsena]

08:37 PM on 09/06/2011

when i go for fast food i am not looking for something thats healthy. puting the calories up means nothing

[monza866]

06:11 PM on 09/06/2011

Eat what you like . Living your life eating food thats good for you but you hate is no way to live. As long as you know the difference and the risks. But in moderation Mickey-Ds won't kill you.

[ofiggers]

06:58 PM on 09/06/2011

iktr

[Al Schrader]

05:49 PM on 09/06/2011

A Big Mac and Diet Coke wont make you fat. A Big Mac, Biggie Fries, Jumbo Chocolate shake, and Mcapple pie in one meal, that will make you fat....Al-

[prestonsturges]

05:44 PM on 09/06/2011

Eat what you want and like, but do it in moderation. Like so many other things in life, pace your intake. 5 packs of Dunhills a day might be detrimental to your health [cough], but a pack a week? Much less harm.

[Eric Graff]

04:49 PM on 09/06/2011

Now if we can get faux news to post how many lies they tell per hour.....................

[Karl Wilder]

03:22 PM on 09/06/2011

McDonald's food tastes BAD. It does not have anything to it that would make me eat it even if the calories were removed.

[Lollipop10]

09:46 PM on 09/06/2011

Where do YOU eat ? I love McDonald's...it's consistently good...coffee is the best, a $1 hamburger is good, and the pies, 2/$1 is a deal....................

[Karl Wilder]

10:52 PM on 09/06/2011

If you really want to know...www.fusiononthefly.com

I eat everything, except junk food.

[IrieMoon]

09:38 AM on 09/07/2011

McDonalds does taste BAD.

People who enjoy the taste of McDonalds only enjoy it because they are addicted to it. Just like a smoker "enjoys" the taste of burnt tobacco. Anyone who enjoys these things should refrain from them for a month. After time has passed and their tastebuds have healed they'll realize just how nasty McDonalds really is.

[babby201]

02:51 PM on 09/06/2011

Well maybe it may have merit healthwise , But I dont go to McDonalds for the health of it.
Now it will all taste like the packaging .
remember when they had the best fries , then some billionaire bozo took out adds in the papers saying Mc Donalds kills people, of course he was heavily invested in the Insurance industry .
I think it was Souros

[duzacm]

04:41 AM on 09/06/2011

How wonderful ! Now Michelle Obama can fly off to London and congradulate the Brits on designing a menu for their Fat Kids.

[ambienAnnie]

12:46 AM on 09/06/2011

In London Burger King's I noticed the calorie count was on a very small scale font on a side wall away from the registers....wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't went to the bathroom which was the most farking disgusting "rest room" I have ever sat foot in in my life.

[babby201]

02:46 PM on 09/06/2011

lucky it was only your foot you sat in there

[ArChiMi]

08:39 PM on 09/05/2011

On McDonalds' website, you can get the nutrition facts about all their items on the menu. Why is this news?

[Matheus Segura]

08:14 PM on 09/05/2011

In Brazil McDonalds puts the calorie count in the back of each burgers box.... making it simple for everyone to know what ure eating!

[duzacm]

04:42 AM on 09/06/2011

I heard that the calorie count is written in English. Could that make a difference?

[DownHomeFoodie]

03:05 PM on 09/05/2011

I was all for posting calories until I went to IHOP and saw how many calories my favorite pancake breakfast has. The things I now can't decide is if posting calories is just punishing people who are already health conscious. I went to IHOP knowing I was having a calorie splurge, but when I found out how bad I was being I changed my mind. But, it worked on me because I am already conscious of calorie counting. Will it work on people who care more about what they want then the calories it will cost them?

[Louise Aloft]

02:59 PM on 09/05/2011

i'm pretty sure they already do that in italy. definitively on the take away cartons.

[ebbelwoi]

08:57 AM on 09/05/2011

Mc Donalds is an all-purpose evil enemy for people who can't think. I've been on the heart healthy diet for two years now. MCD is no worse than all the chains, all the processed crap in the supermarket, and also most independent restaurants. I was recently at an üer-trendy locavore joint and had a braised pork shank with Belgian Frites. As they had an open kitchen I could see the cook hit those frites with two big pinches of salt. I'm guessing that meal had the fat and sodium equivalent of 2.5 Big Mac menus. We love these indie joints but they are no better than MCD.

Empty calories, bad fats, and sodium are everywhere. You have to be vigilant to avoid them and skipping "fast food" joints is not enough.

[Fromageball]

01:08 PM on 09/05/2011

Salt is another one of those all-purpose evil enemies...

[MagicalPossibilities]

02:00 PM on 09/05/2011

Salt in moderation is good and a necessary nutrient. But the obscene amounts of salt in prepared and restaurant food is really a problem. Any time I eat out, the next day I feel horribly bloated and sluggish from the water retention.

[Karl Wilder]

03:20 PM on 09/06/2011

The amount on those frites does not even touch the amount in one Big Mac. Do your research.

[ebbelwoi]

05:42 AM on 09/08/2011

Why? Were you the cook? Were you there? Two big pinches of salt is a couple of grams easily. Quit being silly.