Yum Brands to supply calorie data on menus

The parent of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and A&W; said Wednesday that it would add product calorie information to menu boards in its company-owned restaurants nationwide.

“We believe this is the right leadership role . . . to be providing more information so consumers can make better-informed purchase decisions about the food they eat,” Yum Brands Inc. spokesman Jonathan Blum said.

Yum’s decision was cheered by a consumer watchdog group, which said the voluntary initiative should help shrink waistlines by steering people to more healthful menu choices.

“It’s not going to defeat obesity instantly,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “But calorie labeling is one of many elements that needs to be adopted to help Americans lose weight.”

Yum said its calorie counts would be based on individual serving sizes rather than, for instance, on an entire pizza or a bucket of chicken that a family digs into.

The company said it would encourage its franchisees to provide the same calorie information on their menu boards.

Louisville-based Yum has about 20,000 U.S. restaurants, and about 4,000 are company-owned.

The company said the calorie information would be phased onto menu boards starting this year and completed by Jan. 1, 2011. “We’ll begin as quickly as we can,” Blum said.

The decision comes as laws requiring restaurant chains to post nutritional information are gaining a foothold. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Tuesday requiring chains with at least 20 restaurants in the state to list calorie counts for standard items on menus or indoor menu boards beginning in 2011. New York City also requires some chains to post calorie counts.

Shares of Yum Brands rose 13 cents to $32.74 on Wednesday.