Newsom had indicated he would veto the law, said the report. That veto would be meaningless, though, because the board approved the ordinance 8 to 3, a veto-proof margin. With eight votes, the board could override the [image-nocss] veto.
The new law addresses how toys and other marketing freebies entice kids to buy fast-food meals that are high in fat and calories, said Supervisor Eric Mar, who initiated the proposal. "This is a simple and modest policy that holds fast food accountable," Mar said.
Before the vote, Mar cited a study released by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity that examined 12 popular restaurant chains and found only 12 out of more than 3,000 kids' meal combinations met the nutritional guidelines for preschool-aged kids.
The study said the fast-food industry spent $4.2 billion on advertising in 2009 and found that 40% of preschool-aged children ask to go to McDonald's on a weekly basis, and 15% ask on a daily basis. Also, 84% of parents say they have taken their children to eat fast food at least once in the past week.
Under the law, McDonald's and other restaurants will have until December 2011 to improve their meals' nutrition by adding fruits and vegetables if the chains want to keep offering toys, including those promoting the latest films. The food and beverages will have to contain fewer than 600 calories, and less than 35% of total calories will come from fat. The meal must contain half a cup of fruit and three-fourths cup of vegetables, and offer less than 640 milligrams of sodium and less than 0.5 milligrams of trans fat. Breakfast will have the option of offering half cups of fruit or vegetables.
Meanwhile, a recently concluded study of 1,200 consumers showed that children play a significantly greater role in choosing McDonald's than in choosing other quick-service restaurants (QSRs). The Restaurant Selection Study from CFI Group, found that nearly one-third (32%) of families who ate at McDonald's did so because of their kids' influence. This compares to just 7% for all other QSRs. The study, however, found that toys are the primary driver of that choice only 8% of the time.
"San Francisco's proposed ban on Happy Meal toys is well intentioned, but misguided," said Sheri Teodoru, CEO of CFI Group, in a separate press statement. "Saying that Buzz Lightyear or MegaMind causes childhood obesity is easy, but doesn't address the problem. Our research shows that toys have limited influence over children's preference for McDonald's."
"McDonald's is more than the cheap plastic toy," said Michael Drago, North American business development executive at CFI Group. "From the food, and the familiar cast of friendly characters, to the playground, McDonald's is a place kids like to go."
"[QSRs], including those who serve kids' meals with toys, are about convenience, taste and affordability. Taking toys away doesn't address the issue of why families are there in the first place," said Teodoru.
Ann Arbor, Mich.-based CFI Group is a global leader in customer satisfaction measurement and management. Founded in 1988 by University of Michigan professor Claes Fornell, CFI Group brings the precision and accuracy of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) methodology to its clients, applying the science of satisfaction to drive loyalty, word of mouth, revenue and shareholder value.
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