Nutrition watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a notice of intent to sue McDonald's, claiming Happy Meals toys lure children into unhealthy eating habits and break state consumer-protection laws in Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersey, California, and the District of Columbia.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7848151/McDonalds-faces-lawsuit-over-lure-of-Happy-Meal-toys.html In the news release announcing the impending Happy Meal lawsuit, CSPI likens McDonald's to "the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children." http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20100622/mcdonalds-may-face-suit-over-happy-meal-toys CSPI states that it will continue with the Happy Meal Lawsuit if McDonald's does not stop all toy-related promotions within 30 days.

A prior threat of a CSPI lawsuit against Kellogg in 2006 led to a settlement agreement between the companies in which Kellogg set nutrition standards for foods that are advertised to a younger audience. Additionally, a lawsuit involving KFC's usage of partly hydrogenated vegetable oil, making its chicken high in unhealthy amounts of trans far, was dropped as KFC phased out this type of oil in cooking until its products were free of trans fat.