Ditch the bun, double the fat

KIRSTY JOHNSTON

A nutritionist says New Zealand's 'vulnerable' should be protected from KFC's newest burger, which has no bun but double the meat.

The controversial Double Down - a bunless burger with two slices of bacon and cheese sandwiched between two slabs of fried chicken - has been confirmed for New Zealand release.

A Restaurant Brands spokeswoman said further details about the burger were confidential, but it would be available in the "not too distant future".

KFC's website said the "Original Recipe" version of the burger had 520 calories (2177 kilojoules) and 32g of fat.

Nutritionists and anti-obesity campaigners both here and in Australia have slammed its release, saying the "Double" has an unhealthily high amount of kilojoules and fat.

Fight the Obesity Epidemic spokeswoman Robyn Toomath said the burger was a recipe for obesity.

"If this is promoted the people who are going to be targeted by this food are the people who are particularly prone to obesity," she said.

"We need to start thinking in terms of protecting the vulnerable and putting restraints in."

Restaurant Brands would not confirm the nutritional make-up of the New Zealand Double Down, saying it was still "under development".

Cancer Council NSW nutrition program manager Clare Hughes told the Sydney Morning Herald the new KFC burger would go "above and beyond the average recommended intake of kilojoules and fat for each meal".

In Australia, the fast food giant is marketing the burger as part of a Month of Man-Time promotion, calling The Double a "burger of choice for the men of Australia".

The Colonel's original recipe burger has 1939 kilojoules, 22.3 grams of fat and 1681 milligrams of sodium per serve. The Zinger burger has 2515 kilojoules, 35.7 grams of fat and 2058 milligrams of sodium.

A McDonald's Big Mac has 2060 kilojoules and 26.9 grams of fat per serve.

"The Zinger burger alone would give someone 50 per cent of their total fat intake and it's likely that someone is going to eating this with a serve of chips and a soft drink, so that will really take them over the edge," Hughes said.

Toomath said the burger was further proof of why New Zealand needed stronger healthy food requirements.

"We keep hearing they're reducing fat, using healthy oils, reducing salt - they say there's no need for requirements because they are responsible," she said.

"This just shows that that is absolute nonsense. There is no way in the world this could be considered anything but highly unhealthy food."

- © Fairfax NZ News