McDonald’s trims fat to focus on healthy fare
Having racked up losses of $344 million in the last three months of 2002 the first losses ever reported by the company since it went public in 1965 McDonald's is just about stopping short of offering muesli alongside its Egg McMuffin in a bid to woo customers back.
Outlining the company's new vision to Wall Street analysts, chief executive officer Jim Cantalupo said burgers would be re-spiced, buns reconfigured so they toast better, sandwiches a company
euphemism for burgers will be packaged in paper instead of plastic and more health items like salads and low-fat yoghurts will be offered.
"We took our eyes off our fries and lost our focus," Mr Cantalupo admitted. "The world has changed. Our customers have changed. We have to change, too."
Recent law suits in the US claiming the company was responsible for causing obesity has forced McDonald's to start dipping its toe in healthy options menus by providing items such as the McChicken Premiere a slice of chicken breast fillet served in a
focaccia bun and topped with sauces and iceberg lettuce.
Despite the losses at a company that has become the poster child of capitalism and the target of anti-globalisation protesters, the corporation managed to serve 43 million customers every day of last year in 119 countries.
Although the Irish operation was profitable last year, serving 150,000 customers a day or 53 million people in total, these additional healthy options to the menu will also be available here.
From next month the Happy Meal
will come with a Danone yoghurt
drink and the choice of a fizzy drink,
orange juice, milk or a mineral water.
McDonald's Irish marketing director Lucy Murray confirmed that the company is testing other products such as sandwiches and salads which should be available by the summer.
"McDonald's is an evolving company. Customers want more choices and healthy options and we are responding to that," she said.
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