An investigation led by BBC Morning Live’s Briony May Williams uncovered shocking evidence to suggest that fast food chains, and quick service restaurants have underestimated calories by up to 30%.
To obtain the findings, meals were analyzed from each major fast food chain in the UK by Dr. Nazanin Zand, Professor in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Greenwich, and Dr. Elena Lopez.
Meals Tested
- McDonald’s bacon double cheeseburger (495 calories)
- Greggs’ sausage, bean, and cheese melt (454 calories)
- KFC’s Zinger supercharger tower burger (650 calories)
The highest offender was McDonald’s with the bacon double cheeseburger which had 31% more calories than what was estimated by the chain.
BBC host Gabby Roslin, according to Yahoo News said on McDonald’s response to the investigation:
“McDonald’s told us it thinks our order was prepared incorrectly in the burger, which was over 30% higher in calories. It said it is disappointed that on this occasion it appears to have fallen short of its high standards. And the restaurant has been reminded of the correct procedures.”
McDonalds’ seems to be placing the blame squarely on human error and inconsistencies in the prepared ingredients which they imply could possibly account for the caloric discrepancies.
If true, the findings are a disturbing illumination on fast food, and the flagrant disregard for transparency on what people are actually consuming, and in what caloric quantities.
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