Global hamburger giant McDonald's latest line in healthy looking salads may contain more fat than its hamburgers, according to the company's Web site.

McDonald's, plagued by health critics and flattening sales, has launched the biggest change to its menu in 30 years with its plans to get into the multi-million pound prepared salad market.

 "You can choose your salad, topping and dressing. You can mix and match to suit your diet and lifestyle," said a McDonald's spokeswoman. However, consumers hoping to lose weight by switching from burgers to salads
may be disappointed, according to the Interactive Nutrition Counter on the McDonald's Web site. For example, on the new menu to be launched at the end of this month, a "Caesar salad with Chicken Premiere" contains 18.4 grams of fat compared with 11.5 grams of fat in a standard cheeseburger.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) told Reuters it welcomed the salad menu but warned that salad dressings bought in fast-food outlets or supermarkets could be very high in fat and calories. BNF said the recommended daily fat intake for men is 95 grams per day and for women 70 grams per day. 

McDonald's has 1,235 restaurants in the UK and serves three million customers per day.

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