McDonald鈥檚 to remove preservatives, corn syrup from some menu items
Could new menu tweaks keep the world鈥檚 biggest burger chain competitive?
This June 28, 2016, photo shows a McDonald's sign in Miami. Already, the emergence of smaller rivals promising more wholesome alternatives has major restaurant chains scrambling to improve the image of their food.
Alan Diaz/AP
To compete with smaller restaurant chains, McDonald鈥檚 is learning from them.
The fast food giant will do away with artificial preservatives in some menu items, according to an announcement on Monday. It will also remove corn syrup from burger buns, opting instead for natural sugar. The changes are a nod to customers who are putting more stock into ingredient sourcing and quality as they choose where to dine out.
鈥淲hy go to the position of trying to defend them, if the consumer is saying, I prefer not to have in my food?鈥� said Mike Andres, president of McDonald's USA, during a company event, the Associated Press reported.
McDonald鈥檚 has acquired something of an image problem in recent years. Large-chain fast food is increasingly perceived as unhealthy and overly-processed. Smaller chains, such as Chipotle and Five Guys, have pounced on the opportunity to emphasize their own 鈥渘atural鈥� or locally-sourced ingredients.
As a result, McDonald鈥檚 stocks have behaved erratically. Between 2013 and 2015, MCD shares dropped 7 percent. In September, the company rolled out its all-day breakfast menu and induced a 17 percent jump. Last week, however,聽 in the wake of lackluster US sales.
In a bid to improve sales, McDonald鈥檚 is attempting to revamp its menu. Last year, the chain added spinach and kale to salads and swapped margarine for butter in some items. Now, in an attempt to win over more health-conscious customers, it promises to ditch preservatives in chicken nuggets and remove corn syrup from its burger buns.
But the chain鈥檚 latest initiative may have more to do with perception than with actual health concerns. Excessive calories 鈥� not preservatives or corn syrup 鈥� are where fast food chains fail, Michael Jacobson, executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told the Associated Press.
A shift in strategy
The ingredient changes announced Monday are the latest in a series of changes McDonald's has made to better compete with its smaller rivals on the quality front. In September, the chain announced that it would switch to cage-free eggs over the next ten years. In 2015, McDonald鈥檚 Australia tested a 鈥�gourmet breakfast鈥� menu in an attempt to elevate public perception. The menu, which included premium items like chipolata sausage and Belgian waffles, heralded in the chain鈥檚 new prioritization of food quality over speed.
鈥淥perational efficiency has actually moved down in the ranks of priority because we want to ,鈥� Lance Richards, vice president of menu strategy, told the Chicago Tribune in January. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an openness to really going after the consumer that鈥檚 so refreshing. I think there鈥檚 some bright days ahead.鈥�
This story includes material from the Associated Press.