From Deseret News archives:
Disney to reduce junk foods at parks
Company plans to limit amount of fat and sugar it serves
Disney said it wants to eliminate all added trans fats from food served at its parks by the end of 2007, as well as its licensed and promotional products by the end of 2008.
The company said it wants to limit the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar that it serves. It plans to dish up "appropriate kid-sized portions" at its parks, with no more than 30 percent fat in main and side dishes, and 35 percent for snacks. Saturated fat will be limited to 10 percent in all foods. And added sugar will be limited to 10 percent in main dishes and 25 percent in snacks.
Special-occasion birthday cakes still will be available for kids celebrating at their parks, but Disney said in a press release it wants to limit the number of "indulgence" items on its menu to 15 percent by 2010.
"The Disney brand and characters are in a unique position to market food that kids will want and parents will feel good about giving them," Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said in the release.
The move follows what a number of companies have done of late, the most recent example being Wendy's International Inc. Wendy's said in June that it plans to cut trans fatty acids by using non-hydrogenated cooking oil.
Kraft Foods completed a program last year to cut trans fat content from 650 of its products.
McDonald's Corp., meanwhile, has acknowledged that trans fats are present in many of its menu items. The fast-food giant and Disney are terminating their exclusive marketing pact at the end of the year. Disney and McDonald's both deny that the deal's end was the by-product of trans fats found in McDonald's servings.
