The caloric intake of certain fast food menus is excessive and has even increased in recent years, according to a study by the consumer protection association.
- “Light” menus provide an average of 18% of daily caloric intake.
- The Nutri-Score corresponds to the small logo affixed to the packaging. It rates products from A, dark green, for the most nutritionally favorable, to E, dark orange, for the least favorable.
50%. This is the proportion of children who consume food from fast food at least once a month, according to ANSES. Problem: the nutritional quality of the menus offered for toddlers and adolescents has deteriorated since 2010, reported the consumer association CLCV (Consommation Logement Cadre de vie) in investigation published on November 28.
To carry out their study, the experts invited children to compose their menus at McDonalds, Burger King, Quick, KFC, Subway, La Brioche Dorée and O’Tacos. In total, about fifty formulas were examined. In detail, the association compared the amounts of calories, fat, sugar and salt provided by these menus. To calculate them, they used the nutritional information provided by health professionals.
An increase in fat and salt in children’s menus
According to the results, the average caloric intake decreased for the “light” menus, consisting of a burger or a sandwich, an unsweetened or slightly sweetened drink, a portion of fruit and a portion of vegetables. On the other hand, the “gourmet” versions (fries, sodas, burgers) provide excessive amounts of calories, fat, salt and sugar, i.e. on average 53% calories, 58% fat, 65% salt and 100% sugar.
“The ‘large format’ menus (XL from Quick, Maxi Best of from McDonald’s) which are consumed by teenagers rather than the children’s menus, KFC buckets and drinks sold by the half-litre, which we pinned down in 2010 are always offered. These calorie bombs are catastrophic and can peak at nearly 1,800 kilocalories, or 80% of the average daily needs of an adult!”, underlined the association.
Fast food: inconspicuous nutritional information
The collective pointed out the fact that the nutritional data was still too partial and not very visible. “Efforts have been made by certain brands, such as McDonald’s and KFC, which have made the Nutri-Score of their products available on their website and also on terminals in restaurants. However, the logo is not visible near the products when ordering. As for the other brands, the information is present only on their website. (…) The O’Tacos brand is the only one not to provide any nutritional information”, can we read in their study.
The association has asked brands to improve the nutritional quality of their menus and to offer portions adapted to different age groups by excluding menus that are too high in calories (which provide more than 40% of daily needs).
