NEW YORK — An apple a day may keep the doctor away. But when you put it in a Happy Meal, it might help keep regulators at bay too.
McDonald’s said Tuesday that it would add apple slices and reduce the portion of French fries in its children’s meal boxes beginning this fall, effectively taking away consumers’ current choice of apples with caramel dip or fries as a Happy Meal side.
The move comes as fast-food chains face intense scrutiny from health officials and others who blame the industry for childhood obesity and other health-related problems. Some municipalities, including San Francisco, have even banned fast- food restaurants from selling kids’ meals with toys while others, such as New York, restrict fat content in food.
Critics wasted no time complaining that McDonald’s changes don’t go far enough. Kelle Louaillier, executive director of a group called Corporate Accountability International, said McDonald’s is just trying to get ahead of impending regulations that will restrict the marketing of junk food to children and require restaurants to post nutrition information on menus, among other changes.
LaMonte Riker, a New York carpenter eating a chicken salad at a McDonald’s on Tuesday, said he doesn’t think it’s fair for people to blame McDonald’s for their health problems.
“It’s not McDonald’s that’s making your kids fat; you’re making your kids fat by taking them to McDonald’s,” said Riker, 44. “And I don’t think McDonald’s is that fattening if you don’t eat it on a daily basis.” The Associated Press
