Each day 50,000 shiny red apples are cored, seeded, sliced and
packed into little green bags with a picture of Ronald McDonald
then trucked off to the thousands of McDonald's restaurants. The
apple slices, called Apple Dippers, are taking the place of French
fries in some children's Happy Meals. The goal of the apple slices
are twofold: An attempt to offer healthier food selections to its
customers and bring satisfaction to the many critics whose main
contention is that McDonald's foods lack nutritional value.
McDonald's impact on the fresh fruit and vegetable industry could
reach beyond just dollars and cents. Experts hope their influence
extends to the way in which these products are grown.
In addition to the 54 million apples McDonald's is predicted to
buy this year they are also considered among the top five food-service
buyers of grape tomatoes and spring mix lettuce. With numbers like
these comes buying power and companies scrambling to meet McDonald's
supply demands when it comes to their purchasing of fresh fruits
and vegetables.
McDonald's Launches Healthy Salads as
a Way to Create a Better Image
One of the most successful new products introduced over the past
10 years are McDonald's premium salads. The numbers speak volumes
as 300 million salads were sold since their induction in March 2003.
McDonald's decision to offer salads on their menu was made in part
to change the negative stigma placed upon them. Just five months
before their salads hit the menu, McDonald's flooded the news headlines
after two teenagers filed lawsuits against them accusing the fast
food chain of causing their obesity. Even though the cases were
dismissed it is believed many began to see McDonald's as a symbol
of everything that is wrong with the American food supply.
The vice president of menu management in the United States stated
that salads and offering healthier alternatives to fries in Happy
Meals have changed Americans' opinions about the McDonald's brand
to more positive ones.
Critics of McDonald's Remain Leary
While one critic of a food activist group commended McDonald's
for their changes she also brought attention to the fact that nearly
all of the menu choices at McDonald's remain of poor nutritional
value. Additionally, she pointed out that the Apple Dipper caramel
sauce contained nine grams of sugar.
An advocate of the Organic Consumers Association is hopeful that
McDonald's at some point will use their buying power to change the
way the produce industry operates for the better and possibly even
buy some organic products, which would provide a great health benefit
to their customers.
Another expert felt that McDonald's could have a significant impact
on agriculture methods moving it toward a more organic and sustainable
model.
New
York Times February 20, 2005
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