McDonald's, the fast food giant accused by nutritionists of contributing to obesity, has announced that it will put nutrition information on the packaging of most menu items starting early next year.
The world's largest restaurant group said customers are increasingly looking for "more information" about the food they eat and it will reveal the fat and sodium content and the number of calories each box contains.
McDonald's was criticised by several nutritionists in the US for contributing to obesity, particularly among the young who like hamburgers and chips.
The new packaging will be introduced in McDonald's restaurants in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America from 2006.
Critics told the media that the move is in the right direction but does not go far enough because customers will get the information only after they order, when it is less likely to be noticed or affect behaviour.
"A far better step would be to provide calorie counts right in the menu board, so customers would have that one critical piece of information before they place their order," said Michael F Jacobson, executive director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.
Many chain restaurants put nutrition information on posters, in brochures or on the Web. But according to restaurant executives, that inspires few customers to change their eating habits.