The nation's major fast-food chains are working to provide more detailed calorie information amid efforts by the Taipei City Government to promote healthier food and detailed nutrition information.
The city's Department of Health began pressuring major fast food chains — including McDonald's, KFC, Mos Burger and Burger King — in June, seeking their cooperation in offering calorie and other nutrition information on packages or on menu boards.
An on-site inspection yesterday found that McDonald’s had made detailed calorie information more accessible, putting the information on the back of tray sheets and on the packaging for each item.
Other chains either put the food calorie information on posters or on their Web site.
Taking reporters to inspect a McDonald's and KFC outlet near National Taiwan University, Chiang Yu-mei (姜郁美), chief of the city's Food and Drug Division, asked the chains to make the information clearer and more easily available for customers.
“It's the customers’ right to know the number of calories the food they order contains,” she said. “Hopefully, offering the information will help them make healthier choices.”
Meimei Lin (林梅美), a 22-year-old student who ordered a breakfast meal at McDonald's, said she did not know the store offered calorie information, adding that fast-food chains should make the information more readily accessible.
“I don't think people would flip the tray sheet to read the calorie information on the back,” she said. “Plus, the calorie figures on the package are quite small. They need to do a better job.”
Lin said she supported the department's policy, as she would consider ordering healthier food after realizing that the meal she ordered — a Sausage McMuffin, a hash brown and a cup of coffee — contained about 500 calories.
McDonald's public relations manager Jessica Pan (潘瑞蓮) said the chain, which has been offering calorie information for three years, would seek to make the information clearer.
KFC public relations manager Vivian Wu (吳玟楨) said the company would start offering calorie information on the menu board in October.
Although the initiative has focused on Taipei, fast-food chains nationwide are expected to follow suit.
Chiang said the department would next target breakfast shops, bakeries and tea shops and assist them in offering food calorie information.
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