No added salt for McDonalds Happy Meals.

As a parent i find it appalling that when ordering a treat for my children at McDonalds, i have to expressley ask for unsalted chips, and at times we are made to sit in a waiting bay while they wait for the fresh unslated batch of fries to finish cooking. I have started this petition to raise awareness of the dangers of the inclusion of salt on childrens meals, and also to push for McDonalds to realise that they are in a unique position of making a small change and helping millions of families have a healthier lifestyle.

As a nation, we have raised the issues of childhood obesity and have been informed of the dangers of having high salt / fat / sugar diets, especially in young children. So it comes as a surprise that a company which sells billions of meals to children ever yeary, doesnt feel the need to promote healthy eating by cutting out the unneccesary inclusion of salt in their meals.

There is now evidence to show that a high salt intake in children also influences high blood pressure; which currently affects more than one third of the adults in the UK;  and may predispose an individual to the development of a number of diseases including; osteperosis, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, stomach cancer and obesity; which on its own leads to numerous health complications.

You do not have to add salt to food to be eating too much - 75% of the salt we eat is already in every day foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.  

An adult should eat no more than 6g of sale a day - thats around one teaspoon, with childrens reccomedations being based on their age (1-3years should have no more than 2g per day / 4-6 years no more than 3g per day / 7-10 years no more than 5g a day and 11 years and over no more than 6g a day.

Making sure that your child does not eat too much salt means that you are also helping to ensure that they do not develop a tast for salty food, which makes them less likely to eat too much as an adult.

However, McDonalds do not seem to see the importance of this and you have to ask for unsalted chips/fries.. Why is this? seeing as at other mainstream competitiors such as Burger King and KFC, you are given unsalted fries and given salt on the side to add if you so wish.

I think it is important to highlight this health failing by McDonalds and to demand that they change their approach to healthy living in the UK and around the world and insist on them omitting salt from their childrens happy meals at the very least. There are so many people that use McDonalds happy meals as not only a treat for their kids but also some on a regular basis and for something so consistent in childrens lives, we also need to be mindful of what we are putting into their mouths. Salted chips/fries are unecessary and should be a personal decision rather than a standard proviso. It should be that a customer can chose to add salt to their chips as we do with other mainstream restuarants, and McDonalds would inadvertantly be helping to keep unecessary sal levels to a minimum and to personal choice.

Please sign this petition, not only to raise awareness and hopefully make people more mindful of choosing unsalted fries the next time they order, but to also aim to reach the people who make these business decisions and make this change to promote healthier living, especially for our children.