The fast food scenario has undergone major changes in recent times with key market players like McDonald’s scrabbling to draw more customers by offering healthier food.
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The consumer group urged Kentucky Fried Chicken and other fast food chains to move away from meat and poultry suppliers that overuse antibiotics, a practice that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned is making these drugs less effective for treating disease in people. The $100bn (£75.79bn; €89.48bn) company disclosed that one of the changes is the removal of high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient linked with obesity and diabetes, from its hamburger buns.
A representative for McDonald’s, Becca Hary, did not immediately respond when asked which artificial preservatives are being removed.
“We’re following the customer”, said Marion Gross, McDonald’s supply chain senior vice president.
The company said as of Monday it’s chicken nuggets and several breakfast menu items no longer have artificial preservatives.
Other changes, like getting artificial preservatives out of Chicken McNuggets, were easier – all the company had to do was take the preservative out of the oil it cooked them in.
“Some items on our menu still contain artificial preservatives, and we are taking steps to evaluate the ingredients in these items”, she said.
Combined, the changes announced Monday affect ingredients in almost half the food on the chain’s USA menu.
“Some of the changes may be a little on the late side, but it was McDonald’s that kicked off the move to cage-free eggs”, explains Nomura Securities analyst Mark Kalinowski. The change comes as the company tries to win back today’s more health-conscious customers.
McDonald’s US president Mike Andres said using ingredients like artificial preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup, had good reasoning behind them – but consumers disliked them.
The company also announced its plans to remove high-fructose corn syrup from its sandwich and burger buns.
Subway has also introduced a “rotisserie chicken” and “carved turkey” that have more texture and look more natural than its regular chicken strips and turkey. And a McDonald’s chef demonstrated making Egg McMuffins with freshly cracked eggs – a point the company has been trying to emphasise in advertising to convey the message that it serves real food.
“McDonald’s has done some unbelievable stuff over the years, in recent years, in improving the quality of the meat, and meat from animals that are well treated”.
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“The core menu is essential to our strategy moving forward”, Andres said.
