Mc's hit with class action over toys

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Mc's hit with class action over toys

By Ben Rooney, staff reporterDecember 15, 2010: 5:57 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Mc's is being sued by a group of consumers and

nutrition advocates who want to force the fast food chain to stop using toys to

entice children to buy meals they say are unhealthy.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which filed the class action suit

in a California court Wednesday, claims that Mc's violates the state's

consumer protection laws by using toys to market Happy Meals to young children.

The suit was brought on behalf of Monet Parham, a mother of two in Sacramento,

and other plaintiffs, the CSPI said. " I object to the fact that Mc's is

getting into my kids' heads without my permission and actually changing what my

kids want to eat, " Parham said in a statement.

CSPI threatened to sue Mc's in June, but the company refused to discuss

ways to avoid a law suit, the group said.

Mc's (MCD, Fortune 500) pledged to fight the suit in a statement.

" We are proud of our Happy Meals and intend to vigorously defend our brand, our

reputation and our food, " said company spokesperson Bridget Coffing. " We are

confident that parents understand and appreciate that Happy Meals are a fun

treat, with quality, right-sized food choices for their children that can fit

into a balanced diet. "

The lawsuit charges that using toys to market Happy Meals to young children is

illegal because it " is inherently deceptive and unfair. " Mc's advertising

is also unfair to its competitors, who do not choose to attract very young

children with the lure of a toy, according to the complaint.

" Every time Mc's markets a Happy Meal directly to a young child, it

exploits a child's developmental vulnerability and violates several states'

consumer protection laws, including the California Unfair Competition Law, "

Steve Gardner, CSPI litigation director, said in a statement.

CSPI and other critics argue that Mc's promotes unhealthy eating habits

among children by deliberately targeting them as part of a strategy to maximize

profits.

The group also blasted Mc's for publicly touting more healthy options,

such as Apple Dippers and low-fat milk, while routinely putting French fries in

the majority of Happy Meals.

" Mc's congratulates itself for meals that are hypothetically possible,

though it knows very well that it's mostly selling burgers or chicken nuggets,

fries, and sodas to very young children, " said CSPI executive director

son.

" In other words, Mc's offerings consist mostly of fatty meat, fatty

cheese, French fries, white flour, and sugar -- a narrow combination of foods

that promotes weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease -- and may lead

to a lifetime of poor diets, " he said.