McDonald’s milkshakes ‘could be getting banned’ thanks to new sugar rules

In a bid to stop people from eating unhealthy products, the British government introduced a Sugar Tax in 2018. This meant that any drinks with added sugar would become more expensive.

Now, McDonald’s milkshakes – AKA our favorite hangover cure – could soon be a thing of the past under the British government’s proposed sugar reduction targets.

A large vanilla milkshake from McDonald’s currently rolls in at 436kcals and contains 18tsp of sugar.

Under the proposed new laws, such products, which are usually consumed in one sitting, would become a thing of the past, as they will only allow 300kcals per serving.

McDonald’s milkshakes – AKA our favorite hangover cure – could soon be a thing of the past (Credit: Alamy/Alisha Arif)

So, the next time you walk into the Golden Arches, hiding behind your tinted sunglasses, paracetamol in one hand, you can forget about ordering a large milkshake for the other – or a medium for that matter.

However, the small milkshake might still exist. Not that it will be much consolidation when we want the Earth to reclaim our hungover bodies!

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, said: “These very high-calorie drinks if consumed on a daily basis, would result in children becoming obese and suffer from tooth decay – that is not acceptable.

“These high-calorie milkshakes need to be reduced immediately below the 300kcal per serving.”

This is how kids reacted to McDonald’s first vegetarian Happy Meal: 

Action on Sugar added: “Irresponsibly, many out-of-home companies do not publish their nutrition information online or in their outlets such as: Byron, Creams, Ed’s Diner, Frankie & Benny’s, Handmade Burger Company and TGI Fridays.”

“What’s more, some of these organizations even engage in more unacceptable marketing, such as Creams, who champion the following statement on their website: ‘We want every visit to Creams to be an indulgent adventure for the senses and we see our desserts as ‘everyday celebrations’.

“Once you’ve experienced Creams desserts we reckon you’ll be looking to celebrate something – anything! – every day’.”

Understandably, the potential loss of McDonald’s milkshakes prompted quite the reaction on Facebook:

One user joked: “The machine never works anyway.”

“How about we ban f*cking cigarettes instead,” wrote a second.

Whereas a third came up with a possible solution, writing: “Eh. Order 4 small shakes and a large sweet tea for a dollar…dump the tea, pour the shake into the large cup…whala.”

This article originally appeared on vt.co