Children ‘have taste for McBrand food’

YOUNG children preferred the taste of burgers, fries and other food when these came in McDonald’s wrappers over the same food in plain wrapping, US researchers said, suggesting fast-food marketing reaches the very young.

“Overwhelmingly, kids chose the one they perceived was from McDonald’s,” said Dr Thomas Robinson of Stanford University’s school of medicine.&

The finding comes as food and restaurant companies face pressure to cut back on marketing to children as obesity rates climb.