Burger King Corp., America’s second largest burger chain, has announced plans to introduce the world’s first Whopper Bar at Universal City Walk in Orlando, in the Spring of 2009. The new concept is a condensed and more contemporary version of the typical Burger King restaurant and was initially announced in March 2008. The ‘bars’ will be increasingly rolled out over the next 6-12 months as the company looks to find a way to get into areas where a normal Burger King outlet... ...Read more »
The Council of Better Business Bureaus has released its first report on the progress that participants in BBB’s groundbreaking self-regulation program - the ‘Children’s Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative’ - have made in changing the children’s food and beverage advertising landscape. BBB has assessed the participants’ compliance with their pledges regarding child-directed advertising of their food and beverage products and concluded that the participants... ...Read more »
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a US-based advocacy group, has claimed that nearly every single possible combination of the childrens meals offered by America’s leading* fast-food chains are too high in calories. According to the CSPI, 93 per cent of 1,474 possible choices at the 13 leading fast food restaurant chains exceed 430 calories - an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends that children aged four through eight should consume in a day. The... ...Read more »
In a week, New York City restaurants will finish the job of eliminating artificial trans fat from the food they serve. The final phase of the City’s trans fat regulation takes effect on July 1, requiring restaurants to clear artificial trans fat from all their menu items. When first implemented last year, the new standard applied only to fry oils and spreads. It will now cover previously excluded items such as baked goods, frozen foods, cannoli, and doughnuts as well. Only foods served in the... ...Read more »
Recent research conducted at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil into the adverse effects of trans fats on our health, has shown that these can be passed from mother to child through the breast milk, renewing demands for trans fats to be banned. Trans fats are attractive for the food industry due to their extended shelf life and flavour stability, and have displaced natural solid fats and liquid oils in many areas of food processing. While further studies are required to verify... ...Read more »
Discount UK retailer Asda has attempted to quell consumer concerns about food prices by providing sausages for the low price of two pence. Asda has provided prices low enough that they claim a family of four can serve up a meal of bangers, mash and carrot for under £1.60.Asda’s sausage buyer Jenny Liggat indicates the move is simply a ploy to help families struggling with the economic downturn. “Families are feeling the impact of the credit crunch in their pockets,” she said. “Our... ...Read more »
McDonald’s Corporation has switched to trans-fat free oil in all of their US and Canada restaurant outlets, CEO Jim Skinner said this week at the annual shareholders meeting. The change has only been to some of their products so far, with all products expected to be trans-fat free before the end of the year. McDonald’s has also committed to reducing trans fat levels in most of their outlets worldwide with plans to decrease trans-fat per serving to 0.5 grams in the Asia-Pacific and other... ...Read more »
As economic issues continue to worry consumers the need for retailers to think ahead becomes even more pivotal. Food prices are rising, fuel is reaching record highs and interest rates are starting to bite and, consequently, many consumers are looking for cheaper options. The figures for credit card purchases in Australia for the month of February indicated yet another record high but the growth in the figure was the lowest for 17 years. The trend is no longer a steep incline and a fall could... ...Read more »