Calories on the menu at McDonald's

MCDONALDS will this week introduce calorie information to its menus throughout all its 1,200 UK restaurants, the Department of Health (DH) has said.

From Wednesday, people will be able to see how many calories are in their burger, salad, Happy Meal or milkshake.

Along with other companies already signed up to a calorie labelling pledge, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Pret a Manger and JD Wetherspoon, they will begin to transform more than 5,000 high street food outlets by the end of the year, a DH spokesman said.

He added: "Research shows that calorie labelling makes people more aware of the energy content of their foods and does influence people's choices.

"So with McDonald's serving three million meals every day in 1,200 restaurants, this will have a huge effect on the high street and will help people to make healthier choices when they are eating out."

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "One in six meals are now eaten outside the home and for those meals we often have no idea how many calories we are eating."

He said the policy would help people "spot those hidden calories in their favourite foods and keep an eye on their waistlines."

Jill McDonald, chief executive and president of McDonald's UK, said: "In March we announced our intention to extend the communication of nutritional information to our customers to include displaying calories on our menu boards across the UK.

"This move, as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, supports the principles we believe are important: giving our customers clear information to help them make decisions that are right for them and provide a choice on our menu."