I Feel Vindicated: McDonald's to Post Nutritional Data on Food Boxes

Over the last year, I have published two articles concerning the need for nutritional disclosure of fast food items aimed at young children (one was a law review article in the Wisconsin Law Review and the other was a feature article in the Food and Drug Law Institute's Update Magazine--the cover is depicted to the left). The articles feature a mix of food and drug law, behavioral law and economics, and law and psychology. According to today's Washington Post, McDonald's will put nutrition information on the packaging of most menu items starting in early 2007. (Margaret Webb Pressler, "McDonald's Plans to Print Nutrition Data on Food Boxes," Washington Post, Oct. 26, 2005, at D01). The company could do more, such as indicate calorie counts on store and drive-through menus (particularly for items aimed at young children), but the move is clearly a sign of progress.

So did I make a difference? Probably not. But if you are interested in the law of nutritional labeling, check out my articles:

Economic Efficiency and Consumer Choice in Nutritional Labeling, 2004 Wisconsin Law Review 1161 (2004)

Comparing Legal, Economic, and Legislative Approaches to Nutrtional Labeling of Fast Food Items, Food and Drug Law, Regulation, and Education (Jan/Feb. 2005)

Note: the actual articles can be downloaded beneath the abstracts linked above, as you will see the "New York, USA" icon (depicted below), right beneath the phrase "SSRN Electronic Paper Collection."

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