US Congress mulls calorie count

Americans could soon know exactly what is in their hamburgers

A bill ordering many chain restaurants to include nutritional information on menus is to be proposed in US Congress.

The bill would require restaurants with at least 20 outlets to show the calorie count of their meals.

Although many chains already provide the information, few display it publicly for customers to see.

Almost two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

'Unworkable'

Democratic congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who is introducing the bill, said the information was essential for people and their health.

"People shouldn't have to dig for [the information]," she told MSNBC News channel.

HAVE YOUR SAY People are crazy to believe that they can eat fast food with impunity Darrell Dorsey, USA Send us your comments

Under the bill, the nutritional information would be prominently displayed on menus and possibly on food packaging.

However restaurant owners - despite mostly supporting some form of labelling on a voluntary basis - say the system is flawed and patrons already have access to such information.

"It's just completely unworkable," the president of the National Council on Chain Restaurants, Terrie Dort, told the news channel.

"When you get into mandates, you take away the company's options for them to figure out... what's best."

A poll released on Tuesday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest - which supports nutritional labelling - suggested that more than two-thirds of Americans support such a move.

The CSPI said many consumers had no idea that typical dinners such as lasagne, burritos and even foods marketed as "low fat" still contain excessive amounts of fat and salt.

Last month the US Food and Drug Administration also revealed it was investigating proposals to put nutritional labels on restaurant foods.