News In Brief

San Francisco bans toys from McDonald’s Happy Meals

Jaclyn Giovis Nov 3, 2010

Say goodbye to McDonald’s Happy Meals in the Golden Gate city.

San Francisco’s board of supervisors passed a law on Tuesday that bans restaurants from giving away toys with unhealthy kids’ meals, according to a Los Angeles Times report. The law says if eateries want to give away a toy, the meal can’t have more than 600 calories and it must contain fruits and vegetables.

San Francisco is now the first major U.S. city to stop restaurants from giving away a free toy with meals that contain more than pre-set levels of calories, sugar and fat. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect in December 2011, the Times reported.

California’s Santa Clarita County passed a similar measure earlier this year. Both laws have come in response to growing health concerns over childhood obesity.

The fast-food chain has also been targeted by The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an industry trade group, which filed a lawsuit in June against McDonald’s for packaging toys with its Happy Meals.

McDonald’s offers Happy Meals with apple slices instead of french fries, and soft drinks can be substituted with low-fat milk or apple juice. It isn’t the only restaurant chain to offer toys with kids’ meals.

In other McDonald’s news Tuesday, the restaurant reintroduced its famed McRib sandwich at locations nationwide.

The McRib is a pressed pork patty that gets half its 500 calories from fat.

The sandwhich has a cult-like legion of fans, including some who contribute McRib sightings to a McRib Tracker online.

Just a guess, but followers probably don’t include representatives on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors…

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