Burger King today said it will revamp its kids' meals to bring them more in line with kids' nutritional needs. The new offerings—from flame-broiled Chicken Tenders to apple slices cut to resemble french fries—should be available in Burger King units late next year.
At the same time, BK announced a set of guidelines, approved by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), for kids' meal nutrition and its corporate advertising for them. The company publicly pledged that by December 2008 such advertising will be limited to kids' meals that provide:
• No more than 560 calories per meal
• Less than 30 percent of calories from fat
• Less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat
• No added trans fats
• No more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars
CNN reports that BK has not yet set prices for the new kids' items because food and paper costs have not yet been determined. Here's hoping they're affordable so they're in reach for ALL parents—not just the ones who depend on the dollar menus.
Once the new kids' choices are on the menu, BK will join other major brands, like McDonald's, Subway, Wendy's, and Panera, by offering kids (and adults) some better-for-you options. Put this together with the company's announcement in July that it will roll out transfat-free oil nationwide by the end of 2008 (sooner if supplies allow), and it's clear the King is taking some big steps towards expanding its options.
My take after the jump!
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* The french-fry-cut apples are an interesting move, but I wouldn't put my money on their success. SO wishing I could find the link to this, but I just read the other night about how manufacturers have tried shaping vegetables like fries in the past, and the products have bombed. (DANG, I wish I could find that link.)
Still, fruit = good option to have.
* The company would be smart to roll the new kids' options out sooner than later. End of 2008? That's a long time, especially when your competitors have already been there for a few years.
* Call it a marketing move. Call it an attempt to deflect responsibility in this lawsuit-happy age. You might be right, but whatever. The more large corporations make these kinds of moves and pledges, the more will follow. Picture a big boulder that's been pushed maybe eight feet up a thousand-foot hill. Burger King's announcement gives that rock a big shove.
* That said, I have to admit I'm no Burger King fan. You know how most families are either McDonald's or BK families? Mine was a McD's family growing up, and that sticks even today. Although...if we do get burgers at a big chain, it's most likely to be Wendy's. Go figure.
Are you interested in seeing the entire text of a CBBB corporate pledge re: kids' meals and advertising? Burger King's site won't let me link directly to it, so I copied the text straight from a news release posted here on Burger King's corporate site:
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CBBB CHILDREN'S FOOD AND BEVERAGE ADVERTISING INITIATIVE: BURGER KING CORPORATION PLEDGE
09/12/2007
Entity Covered by Pledge:
5505 Blue Lagoon Drive
Miami, FL 33126
Name of individual(s) responsible for Overall implementation of the Pledge:
Brian Gies, Vice President, Marketing Impact
Brand/Product Line Covered by Pledge:
BURGER KING® food and beverages.
BURGER KING® restaurants for more than 50 years have been serving menu offerings that represent quality, value, and taste. Our heritage stems from our long-standing HAVE IT YOUR WAY® brand promise, which gives customers in BURGER KING® restaurants the opportunity to customize their menu choices to meet their individual tastes, preferences, and lifestyles. We remain committed to offering a variety of food and beverage products that will make it easy for us to fulfill our HAVE IT YOUR® way brand promise to our customers. To that end, we will use product innovation as a vehicle to develop more menu options that promote a balanced diet. Through our Pledge to the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, we will communicate messages about our new and innovative food and beverage products to help promote a balanced diet, and active lifestyle choices among our younger customers.
OUR PLEDGE:
Advertising Commitment:
National Television Advertising : One hundred percent (100%) of National Television Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old will be for Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria . In addition, some of our National Television Advertising will promote Healthy Lifestyle Messages.
National Radio Advertising : One hundred percent (100%) of National Radio Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old will be for Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria. In addition, some of our National Radio Advertising will promote Healthy Lifestyle Messages.
National Print Advertising : One hundred percent (100%) of National Print Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old will be for Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria. In addition, some of our National Print Advertising will promote Healthy Lifestyle Messages.
National Internet Advertising : One hundred percent (100%) of National Internet Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old on third party Internet websites will be for meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria. In addition, all food pages of our company- owned websites that are primarily directed to children under 12 years old will be for Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria. In addition, we will include materials on our websites that promote Healthy Lifestyle Messages.
National Television Advertising, National Radio Advertising, National Print Advertising and National Internet Advertising shall hereinafter be collectively referred to as our “National Advertising.”
Supporting Data for the Advertised Kids Meals
We are currently developing menu options to meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria outlined below and more specifically on Appendix A. The Kids Meals we advertise as of the implementation date of our Advertising Commitment will meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria.
Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria:
We will honor our Advertisement Commitment using the following Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria:
The Kids Meal (consisting of an entrée, side dish and beverage) advertised in our National Advertising will provide, in total:
No more than 560 calories per meal;
Less than 30 percent of calories from fat;
Less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat;
No added trans fats; and
No more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.
The scientific and/or governmental standard(s) on which the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria is based is set forth on Appendix A.
Implementation Schedule: The Advertising Commitment will go into effect no later than December 31, 2008.
Use of Licensed Characters Commitment:
We will limit the use of third-party licensed characters in 100% of our National Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old to the promotion of Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria.
Implementation Schedule: The Use of Licensed Characters Commitment will go into effect no later than December 31, 2008.
Product Placement Commitment:
We will not approve, pay for, or actively seek the placement of BURGER KING® food or beverage products in the program/editorial content of any medium in the United States primarily directed to children under 12 years old.
Implementation Schedule: The Product Placement Commitment will go into effect no later than January 1, 2008.
Interactive Games Commitment:
We will not approve, pay for or actively seek the placement of BURGER KING® food or beverage products in any of our own and/or any third party interactive game in the United States primarily directed to children under 12 years old for the purpose of promoting the sale of those products unless such food and beverage products are Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria.
Implementation Schedule: The Interactive Games Commitment will go into effect no later than December 31, 2008.
Advertising in Schools Commitment:
We will not advertise our food or beverage products in elementary schools.
Implementation Schedule: The Advertising in Schools Commitment will go into effect no later than January 1, 2008.
Healthy Lifestyle Messages Commitment:
As a food company, our primary focus in our National Advertising will be on Kids Meals that meet the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria. However, to help promote active lifestyles in children, we will also include in some of our National Advertising certain nutrition and/or activity messages (“Healthy Lifestyle Messages”). Our Healthy Lifestyle Messages will vary and will include general themes related to nutrition and/or physical activity from a variety of federal government campaigns, including MyPyramid, MyPyramid for Kids, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s VERB campaign.
Implementation Schedule: The use of Healthy Lifestyle Messages Commitment will go into effect no later than December 31, 2008.
Appendix A
Supporting Data for The Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria
Overview
As part of our Pledge to the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, 100% of our National Advertising primarily directed to children under 12 years old will be restricted to Kids Meals that meet nutrition criteria that promote responsible meal portion sizes and limit total fat, saturated fat, added trans fat, and added sugars.
The Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria for nationally advertised Kids Meals are based on federal dietary recommendations and published, peer-reviewed science. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (“Dietary Guidelines”) are the primary basis for the criteria, as demonstrated below.
Specifically, the kids’ meals consisting of an entrée, side dish and beverage (each a “Kids Meal” and collectively “Kids Meals”) advertised in our National Advertising will provide, in total:
No more than 560 calories per meal;
Less than 30 percent of calories from fat;
Less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat;
No added trans fats; and
No more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.
We will consult with the Council of Better Business Bureaus about the actual Kids Meals we intend to advertise as a part of this Pledge.
Support for Nutrition Criteria
The Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria are based on the Dietary Guidelines and other federal and scientifically established dietary recommendations, as demonstrated below:
The advertised Kids Meal will provide no more than 560 calories.
The Dietary Guidelines provides guidance on total calorie intake levels for various gender and age groups at three different levels of physical activity: sedentary, moderate activity, and active.
The Dietary Guidelines recommends a range of 1,200 – 1,800 calories per day for children ages 4 – 8 and a range of 1,600 – 2,600 calories for children ages 9 – 13. The ranges within the age groups are based on gender and physical activity levels.
Burger King Corporation determined 1,700 calories to be the average total daily caloric intake for children ages 4 – 8 and 9 – 13, based on the recommendations for sedentary and moderately active exercise levels, which range from 1,200 – 2,200:
Sedentary 4-8 year olds: 1,200
Moderately Active 4-8 year olds: 1,600
Sedentary 9-13 year olds: 1,800
Moderately Active 9-13 year olds: 1,800-2,200
While Burger Corporation supports higher activity levels, these two activity levels were selected based on government data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey that indicate only 35.8 percent of youth met the currently recommended levels of physical activity.
By limiting the total calories in the advertised Kids Meal to 560 calories, this ensures that the meal does not contribute more than 1/3 of the 1,700 calorie average that children should consume in a day.
The Nationally Advertised Kids Meal will provide less than 30% of calories from fat.
The Dietary Guidelines recommends a fat intake of 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 – 18 years of age.
By limiting the total fat of the advertised Kids Meal to less than 30 percent of total calories, this ensures that the advertised Kids Meal is well within the recommended range.
The advertised Kids Meal will provide less than 10% of calories from saturated fat.
The Dietary Guidelines recommends keeping saturated fat intake below 10 percent of total calorie intake.
By limiting the saturated fat of the advertised Kids Meal to less than 10 percent of total calories, this ensures that the meal is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines recommended limit.
The advertised Kids Meal will provide no added trans fat.
The Dietary Guidelines recommends limiting intake of trans fat, recognizing that some trans fats are naturally occurring and often present, at low levels, in nutrient dense foods such as animal products, but does not provide a specific maximum intake level for trans fats. Likewise, the American Heart Association’s “Dietary Recommendations for Children and Adolescents” echoes the Dietary Guidelines and recommends diets low in trans fat.
The provision that no added trans fats will be included in the advertised Kids Meal is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines and American Heart Association’s recommendation to limit intake of trans fats.
The advertised Kids Meal will provide no more than 10% of calories from added sugars.
The Dietary Guidelines recommends choosing food and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners, but does not provide a specific recommended limit.
The Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes recommends that added sugars should comprise no more than 25 percent of total calories consumed.
By limiting the added sugar of the advertised Kids Meal to no more than 10 percent of total calories, this ensures that the meal is consistent with both the Dietary Guidelines and Institute of Medicine’s recommendations.
Sample Advertised Meal (in development)
The following chart gives an example of the potential nutritional values of a Kids Meal we are exploring for an advertised meal. These values are subject to change based on the product development work.
Food Item Calories Fat/Fat Calories Sat Fat/Sat Fat Calories Added Sugar Sodium
Flame Broiled CHICKEN TENDERS® (4pc) 145 6g / 54 1.5g / 13.5 0g 370mg
MOTT’S® Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce 50 0g / 0 0g / 0 0g 0mg
HERSHEY’®S 1% Low Fat White Milk 110 2.5g /22.5 1.5g / 13.5 0g 130mg
Total 305 8.5g / 76.5 3g / 27 0g 500mg
The proposed advertised Kids Meal meets the requirements of the Burger King Corporation Nutrition Criteria:
Approximately 25% of the total calories are derived from fat
Approximately 9% of the total calories are derived from saturated fat
No added sugar
No added trans fat
Total Calories are 305, well below the 560 calories put forth in the pledge
The ingredients for the meal items are:
Flamed Broiled CHICKEN TENDERS®:
Chicken breast with rib meat, water, salt, sodium phosphate, modified corn starch and flavoring. Glaze ingredients TBD
MOTT'S® Unsweetened Organic Apple Sauce:
Organic apples, water, ascorbic acid.
(See attached product specs)
HERSHEY®'S 1% Low Fat Milk:
Lowfat Milk, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3. Contains 25% of the Daily Value of vitamin D.
We will consult with the Council of Better Business Bureaus about the actual Kids Meals we intend to advertise as a part of this Pledge.
