Fast food chains drop calorie-counting scheme
Efforts to get fast food chains to display calorie counts were scuppered this week – reports the Independent – as restaurants like Burger King and KFC failed to commit to the scheme. As obesity – sorry, fatness – skyrockets, it seems sensible to remind diners that some Pizza Hut pizzas weigh in at a gut-splitting 2,656 calories.

Watershed ban for junk food advertising
Health campaigners have called for a ban on advertising junk food before the watershed, reports the Telegraph. The 2007 embargo on advertising crisps and sweeties during children’s programmes appears to have had little effect. Under the new plan not only will advertising junk food be banned, but showing OB from Hollyoaks chowing down on a burger will also be outlawed.

Squirrel for supper?
Once a suppertime staple, the squirrel has fallen out of favour with diners. But Budgens is now stocking it, and has been getting a bit of an earful from animal rights groups. The ‘wildlife massacre’ (honestly) is seen by Viva as ‘inhumane’ and ‘irrational’. It is currently stocked at Budgens in Crouch End, North London.

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Other food news this week:

* Washing chicken increases risk of food poisoning.
* Blueberries are more popular than raspberries.
* Beer sales are up for the first time in 4 years.
* Cows given new feed for healthier milk.
* Vertical farms – the future of urban food?