New on the Menu

Fast-food junkies can pick up their orders within minutes, but finding out what they are actually eating usually involves a correspondence with company headquarters. Last week, though, five major chains bowed to longtime demands from consumer groups and more recent pressure from the attorney generals of New York, California and Texas for on-site fast-food labeling. McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Jack in the Box confirmed that listings of ingredients and nutritional content of all menu items will soon be available at numerous outlets.

Critics, however, remain unsatisfied. Several consumer groups want detailed nutritional labeling on individual food wrappers, and last year petitioned both the FDA and the Department of Agriculture. "There are important health reasons why it should be right on the label," declares Mitch Zeller of the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest. For example, some people may be allergic to ingredients in fast foods. Stricter labeling, however, is only a small step to better health. As long as people enjoy the taste of big burgers, French fries and milk shakes -- high fat, high salt, high calories and all -- the fast-food fix will prevail.