McDonald’s faces lawsuit over toys in Happy Meals

LOS ANGELES — Weeks after a Silicon Valley
county became the first in the nation to ban toys from McDonald’s Happy
Meals and other food promotions aimed at children, a public health
watchdog group called on the fast food giant to remove the playthings
from all its meal packages.

Citing toys aimed at promoting the latest “Shrek”
movie, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said that the
plastic promotions lure children into McDonald’s restaurants where they are then likely to order food that is too high in calories, fat and salt.

The organization on Tuesday served the fast food
giant with a letter expressing its intent to sue if toys are not
removed. The letter is legally required in several states, including California, before lawsuits can be brought under consumer protection statutes.

“McDonald’s is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children,” Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group said in a statement. “McDonald’s use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children’s developmental immaturity.”

McDonald’s disagreed
strongly with that characterization, saying that its meals were
“right-sized for kids” and that it offered healthful choices. Toys,
said spokesman William Whitman, are “just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald’s.”

The chain’s menu includes the option of apple slices
instead of French fries, he said. And children can order milk or juice
with their Happy Meals rather than soda. Since the apple slices, called
“Apple Dippers” by the company because they include a caramel sauce for
dipping, were introduced in 2008, customers have ordered them more than
100 million times in the U.S., Whitman said.

In April, Santa Clara County
supervisors won praise from nutrition advocates but ridicule from many
conservatives when they voted to ban toy promotions from fast food
meals sold in unincorporated parts of the county. The supervisors gave
fast food chains 90 days to voluntarily comply before the ordinance
became effective.

Opponents of toys in fast food meals say the
promotions are feeding the nation’s obesity epidemic by making
unhealthy food seem more desirable to children. But the food industry
says that healthier choices are now available to children — and urges
parents to take responsibility for what their kids order.

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