McDonald's is responding to consumer demand with a variety of recipe changes that make more than 50 percent of its menu more nutritious.
Meals affected will be the Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, as well as a number of sandwiches and all salads on the menu.
Although the recipe changes won't change the taste of McDonald's products significantly, each will be more nutritious in that the company will stop using artificial preservatives, "eliminating chicken treated with certain antibiotics," swapping margarine for butter and "adding red leaf lettuce and carrots to salad mixes." Although the prices for certain items are more expensive for the company, McDonald's is confident that its recipe changes won't cause a loss of profit over time.
Transparent Fast Food Menus
McDonald's is Making Its Healthy Recipe Changes Clear to the Public
Trend Themes
1. Healthy Fast Food - There's an opportunity for fast food restaurants to reposition themselves in the market as providers of healthy or wellness-inspired meals.
2. Trust and Transparency Marketing - Restaurants and food companies could take advantage of consumer demand for healthier meals, transparency and trust by being more open about their food's nutritional value and origin.
3. Clean Label Movement - The trend towards clean labels on food products extends to fast food establishments which are reformulating their meals to exclude artificial flavors and preservatives.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food Restaurants - Fast food restaurants are experimenting with healthier food options to entice consumers power conscious and hesitant to buy fast food.
2. Food and Beverage - The food and beverage industry has an opportunity to innovate new products and formulations that meet consumer demand for healthier eating.
3. Food Advertising - The new trend of transparency in fast food menus demands a corresponding shift in advertising strategies to promote healthier choices in the menu.