French nutritionists give Big Mac seal of approval

By JOHN LICHFIELD in Paris

The "Big Mac", epitome of American culture and the junk food revolution, receives an unexpected thumbs-up from two leading French nutritionists in a "good food guide" to supermarkets and fast food restaurants published yesterday.

The relative fat-to-protein content of a Big Mac is considerably healthier than classic French snacks such as quiche lorraine and better than many other sandwiches or fast foods on the market, the authors say.

"Strangely enough, the products which are the most demonised are not necessarily the worst," say Jean-Michel Cohen and Patrick Serog, who analysed 5000 forms of food readily available to consumers in French shops, supermarkets and restaurants.

In their book Savoir Manger, the two nutritionists brave the fury of the French cultural and culinary establishment by giving a "coup de coeur" - or seal of approval - to the Big Mac and the McDonald's cheeseburger.

However, other McDonald's offerings - notably chips and Filet o'fish - are given very poor marks for their relatively high levels of fat, compared to protein.

Even though hugely popular with ordinary French people, and responsible for many of the 90 million hamburgers sold in France every year, McDonald's has become the symbol of what the French call "malbouffe" (junk food).

Cohen and Serog, two of the country's best-known nutritionists, say McDonald's and other fast foods should not be held responsible for the growing levels of obesity in France.

After studying branded products on offer in supermarkets, cafes and restaurants - including many self-proclaimed health foods - they say hundreds of them have higher-than-desirable - or necessary - levels of fat and sugar.

France's girth problem - something new in a country which has usually prided itself on its nutritional health - is not caused by over-eating, they say.

It is caused by the persistent consumption of products with a higher value in calories than necessary.

"There is no point in denouncing manufacturers who encourage us to eat ever more heavy, fat and sweet foods," Serog said yesterday.

"We have to teach the consumer how to choose what to put in their supermarket trolley ... Our ambition is to help the French eat with their heads and not just their bellies."

The simple way to judge the nutritional health of a food, they say, is to divide its protein content into its fat content.

If the result comes out as one, or more than one, the food is relatively healthy. If it is less than one, it should be avoided.

- INDEPENDENT