McDonald’s launches major healthy choice option

29 February 2012

Would you like salad or fries with that? McDonald’s launches major healthy choice option

“Would you like salad or fries with your meal?” is the new question on the lips of McDonald’s crew across the country from today.

McDonald’s customers will now have the option of choosing salad instead of fries with all combo meals, at no extra cost – a major step in McDonald’s ongoing journey in continuing to offer healthier menu options.

McDonald’s New Zealand Managing Director Patrick Wilson says McDonald’s is adding to its ongoing healthy menu development by making it even easier for customers to enjoy a fresh serve of vegetables.

“McDonald’s is committed to continuing to evolve our menu to offer our customers more healthy choices. In 2004 we broke new ground in the fast food sector by offering salads on our menu and since then we’ve sold over 2 million serves, making us one of New Zealand’s largest salad retailers, which is pretty phenomenal,” he says.

“Last year alone we ordered close to 1.5 million kg of lettuce, which we used in our burgers, wraps and salads, and we expect that figure to increase with this new ‘salad instead of fries’ option. This will no doubt be welcome news for our Kiwi suppliers.

“We’re committed to offering our customers healthy food options, even if that means an increase to our costs at times. These choices are something more and more of our customers are asking for, so we’re delivering on that,” says Mr Wilson.

McDonald’s lettuce supplier Jayant Master from Master & Sons of Bombay says the ‘salad instead of fries’ option means an opportunity for growth for his business, and for other Kiwi growers.

The replacement salad option is a garden salad containing fresh lettuce, cucumber, red onion and tomato.

In 2011 McDonald’s New Zealand spent more than $147 million with New Zealand suppliers including 1.45 million kg of lettuce and 236,700 kg of tomatoes.

About McDonald’s New Zealand
New Zealand’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Porirua in 1976. Today there are 160 McDonald’s restaurants across New Zealand, 80 per cent of which are franchised and run by local business men and women. The organisation employs over 10,000 people in restaurants nationwide, and is one of New Zealand’s largest employers of youth. In 2011 McDonald’s spent around $150 million with local suppliers, while New Zealand producers exported over $300 million of food to other McDonald’s markets. For more information visit www.mcdonalds.co.nz.

ENDS

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