McDonald's tells Liverpool: You can't ban happy meals

Oct 25 2008

FAST food giant McDonald’s today claimed Liverpool’s bid to ban children’s meals with toys was “unworkable”.

City officials are preparing to meet the firm’s executives to discuss the council’s push to outlaw Happy Meal deals to help tackle childhood obesity.

The meeting comes after the town hall called on the government to ban “incentives” with meals marketed directly at young children.

Councillors argued parents find it difficult to resist the “pester power” of their children and demanded the withdrawal of toys from all food promotions.

But McDonald’s chiefs criticised the motion ahead of the November 10 meeting, arguing it will “take the fun out of eating out”.

Spokesman Hugh Milward dubbed the plan “broad and unworkable”.

He said: “Any move by the council to ban toys with food could have wide-ranging and unintended consequences. Banning toys such as balloons, crayons, face paints – even Easter Egg hunts – from places where food is sold in Liverpool could just take the fun out of going out and eating out.