CALIFORNIA BUSINESS MINUTE
Fast Food
08-02-10
Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute
The fast food industry has been around a long time in California. Fast food operators
such as McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, In-N- Out Burger and Del Taco are
just some of the noted California-based chains.
But these operators have become under greater scrutiny by political leaders. In 2008
the California Legislature passed SB 1420, which requires operators with 20 or more
locations to provide nutritional information on the items they serve.
But in recent months, local governments have looked at these businesses. For example
in May the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to ban toys as promotions in
meals with more than 485 calories. This was done in the effort to prevent restaurants
from preying on children's love of toys to peddle high-calorie, high-fat and high-sodium
kids' meals in the effort to help fight childhood obesity. The ordinance also bans
restaurants from giving away toys with meals that have more than 485 calories, more
than 600 milligrams of sodium, more than 35 percent of total calories from fat or more
than 10 percent of calories from added sugar. It would also limit toy giveaways on single
food items with more than 200 calories or more than 480 milligrams of sodium.
And recently, the city of Baldwin Park has passed an interim ordinance adopting a
citywide moratorium on drive-through facilities and establishments. This was stimulated
by the fact that the city of 80,000 has 17 drive-through restaurants which apparently
is considered to be a glut of such businesses. The mayor of Baldwin Park has identified
that people have a right to consume whatever they want, but his concern illustrates that
local government needs to provide a healthy option for the community.
And most recently the City of San Francisco, is exploring adding a fee on fast-food
restaurants to pay for the cleanup of garbage caused by people littering with fast
food wrappers and containers which carry high costs for cleanup by the city. The
tax would help the City recover its costs for cleanup of the litter from food sold
at fast food restaurants.
I am Tim Johnson and this has been the California Business Minute.
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