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AMERICAN FAST FOOD GIANT TO DISPLAY CALORIE COUNT Count Your Calories with McDonald’s
Would you change your order if you know there are 416 calories in McChicken? You will soon have an option as the Indian arm of
world's largest restaurant chain McDonald's has decided to list calorie counts of all its foods on menus. McDonald's India, among Big Mac's top 10 fastest growing markets, says the calorie counts, protein, fat and carbohydrate content in its burgers, fries and puffs will be prominently displayed on its menu, leaflets on trays, front counters and website within the next 45 days.
"As customers around the world are changing, we are also focusing on healthier and more informed ways of eating. The first step, we believe, is disseminating information," McDonald's India (North & East) MD and joint venture partner Vikram Bakshi told ET. The move, coming 15 years after McDonald's opened its first restaurant in the country, follows similar actions in the US and more recently the UK where fast food chains are under pressure to help tackle obesity and promote healthier eating habits.
It will be implemented across McDonald's 235 stores in the country, and will cover all its products. Activists and nutritionists called it a good first step, though there's a lot more to be done.
"It's commendable that they are doing this. But it's important that they also introduce new and healthy options for consumers," said Pankaj Sharma, chief trustee of the Centre of Transforming India, a Delhibased NGO that works on health and environment issues.
Mumbai-based nutritionist Dr Anjali Mukerjee said, "Printing calories upfront will certainly be an eyeopener for customers, and it will make a positive difference."
She added that the drive needs to penetrate deeper and customers should have detailed information about the ingredients used in foods. Other fast-food chains KFC and Pizza Hut, however, said they are not putting calorie counts on menus in the country yet. They said Indian consumers need to evolve a lot more before moves like calorie content influence their choices.
Various countries are at different levels of implementing Big Mac's 'health' move and India is among the early movers.
McDonald's US, for example, is putting out the calorie counts on wrappers of all products. It started serving its popular 'Happy Meal' for children with apple slices and smaller fries in July, bowing to pressure from social activists and parents.
The changes cut the item's calorie count by 20% and were part of the chain's "commitments to offer improved nutrition choice".
The commitments include low-fat dairy option and apples in Happy Meals, reducing sugar, saturated fat and calories through smaller portion sizes by 2020, and reducing sodium by an average of 15% across its national menu by 2015.
Besides apple slices, Big Mac will offer fat-free chocolate milk as beverage choice for Happy Meal customers. Happy Meal fruit and vegetable choices too are under consideration. Obesity has emerged a global health threat, particularly in the US where more than one in four people are obese.
Social activists and governments around the world have been increasing pressure on restaurants, food companies and beverage makers to promote healthier food habits and list calorie counts and nutritional facts on packets and menus.
Coca-Cola India recently started printing calorie information on the front pack of its labels of PET bottles and cans as part of a global move. Coca-Cola's 'nutritional labeling' exercise is being done in phases across 200-plus countries where it has presence in, and has been rolled out in parts of Europe, Australia, Mexico and the US.
Rival PepsiCo India also prints some ingredient information on its packs, but not on front labels.
Depending on country-specific guidelines, the information can include daily guidance indicators to show how the quantities of select nutrients fit into the national or regional dietary guidelines.
McDonald's India, which set up its first restaurant in 1996 in New Delhi's upscale Basant Lok colony, has banked on its mass-priced foods to grow rapidly and become one of the most popular fast-food chains in the country.
Now, will calorie counts scare away some customers? Unlikely because you would've kicked weight watch to the back of your mind when you walk in for a burger and fries.
"As customers around the world are changing, we are also focusing on healthier and more informed ways of eating. The first step, we believe, is disseminating information," McDonald's India (North & East) MD and joint venture partner Vikram Bakshi told ET. The move, coming 15 years after McDonald's opened its first restaurant in the country, follows similar actions in the US and more recently the UK where fast food chains are under pressure to help tackle obesity and promote healthier eating habits.
It will be implemented across McDonald's 235 stores in the country, and will cover all its products. Activists and nutritionists called it a good first step, though there's a lot more to be done.
"It's commendable that they are doing this. But it's important that they also introduce new and healthy options for consumers," said Pankaj Sharma, chief trustee of the Centre of Transforming India, a Delhibased NGO that works on health and environment issues.
Mumbai-based nutritionist Dr Anjali Mukerjee said, "Printing calories upfront will certainly be an eyeopener for customers, and it will make a positive difference."
She added that the drive needs to penetrate deeper and customers should have detailed information about the ingredients used in foods. Other fast-food chains KFC and Pizza Hut, however, said they are not putting calorie counts on menus in the country yet. They said Indian consumers need to evolve a lot more before moves like calorie content influence their choices.
Various countries are at different levels of implementing Big Mac's 'health' move and India is among the early movers.
McDonald's US, for example, is putting out the calorie counts on wrappers of all products. It started serving its popular 'Happy Meal' for children with apple slices and smaller fries in July, bowing to pressure from social activists and parents.
The changes cut the item's calorie count by 20% and were part of the chain's "commitments to offer improved nutrition choice".
The commitments include low-fat dairy option and apples in Happy Meals, reducing sugar, saturated fat and calories through smaller portion sizes by 2020, and reducing sodium by an average of 15% across its national menu by 2015.
Besides apple slices, Big Mac will offer fat-free chocolate milk as beverage choice for Happy Meal customers. Happy Meal fruit and vegetable choices too are under consideration. Obesity has emerged a global health threat, particularly in the US where more than one in four people are obese.
Social activists and governments around the world have been increasing pressure on restaurants, food companies and beverage makers to promote healthier food habits and list calorie counts and nutritional facts on packets and menus.
Coca-Cola India recently started printing calorie information on the front pack of its labels of PET bottles and cans as part of a global move. Coca-Cola's 'nutritional labeling' exercise is being done in phases across 200-plus countries where it has presence in, and has been rolled out in parts of Europe, Australia, Mexico and the US.
Rival PepsiCo India also prints some ingredient information on its packs, but not on front labels.
Depending on country-specific guidelines, the information can include daily guidance indicators to show how the quantities of select nutrients fit into the national or regional dietary guidelines.
McDonald's India, which set up its first restaurant in 1996 in New Delhi's upscale Basant Lok colony, has banked on its mass-priced foods to grow rapidly and become one of the most popular fast-food chains in the country.
Now, will calorie counts scare away some customers? Unlikely because you would've kicked weight watch to the back of your mind when you walk in for a burger and fries.
1 comments:
Very worthwhile data, thank you for your article.
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