Burger King’s New Bacon Sundae: 500 Calories, 18 Grams of Fat, 61 Grams of Sugar
Despite the biggest menu changes in Burger King’s history recently launched by the chain in efforts to provide healthier options, the Home of the Whopper has announced a summer dessert menu item that’s anything but healthy: a bacon sundae.
With more than 500 calories per sundae, the menu item also contains a whopping 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar. The burger chain’s bacon sundae features vanilla soft serve ice cream, fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and a piece of bacon.
The chain recently added fruit smoothies, snack wraps and salads to its menu, along with commercial endorsements from Salma Hayeck, Steven Tyler and David Beckham in hopes of winning market share back from its main competitors—Wendy’s and McDonald’s—which have both been successful with healthy menu selections.
The bacon sundae also seems to fly in the face of a recent announcement made by Burger King that the chain would be making considerable changes when it comes to pregnant sows in its supply chain. By 2017, Burger King plans to have all its suppliers phase out the controversial containment cages used in separating pregnant sows from other pigs in stalls so small the animals cannot even turn around.
Burger King is certainly not the first fast food chain to get bold with menu items. Challenged by national efforts urging Americans to cut down on fast and junk food consumption, many chains have resorted to some rather shocking menu items and marketing moves to drive sales. Taco Bell recently sold 100 million of its Doritos Locos Tacos in just 10 weeks, breaking the chain’s record for biggest product launch ever. The item featured a signature Doritos “taco shell” filled with Taco Bell taco meat and toppings.
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Image: Hakan Dahlstrom
