British McDonald's to Sell Fresh Fruit
Posted on: Friday, 28 February 2003, 06:00 CST
British McDonald's to Sell Fresh Fruit
source: Associated Press Top Strange News
Stung by criticism that its food is laden with fat and salt, McDonald's said Friday its British restaurants will be the first in the world to sell fresh fruit.
Starting in April, grapes and sliced apples will be sold in 2.3-ounce bags for 95 cents, the company said.
McDonald's is also adding a new fruit juice with "no extra sugar" to its Happy Meals for children and a 266-calorie pasta salad with less than 5 percent fat to its salad menu. The pasta salad will be available May 27. It was not immediately clear whether the juice and salad would be sold at restaurants outside Britain.
"Tastes are always changing and these changes to McDonald's menu aim to provide our customers with even more choice," said Mike Scott, head of national marketing.
Other new tastes include the Chicken Select, made from chicken breast meat, at 185 calories a serving. It will be sold in Britain on April 2. Green salads will be available over the summer.
Critics called it an attempt to counter complaints that fast food has led to an increase in obesity.
"McDonald's are clearly pretty keen to do something, with profits down and stores closing," said Jeanette Longfield, coordinator of the British food and farming alliance Sustain, which campaigns for healthier eating. "It may be they just want to be seen selling healthier food."
Other burger chains have also added salads and lowfat options to their menus in recent years. Burger King has introduced a vegetarian burger and extended its Whopper trademark to a new chicken sandwich.
The move came after parent company McDonald's Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill., posted its first losses in January and was forced to close 719 restaurants.
But a spokeswoman for McDonald's in Britain said sales were up 2.8 percent at over $2.5 billion in the last 12 months.
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On the Net:
McDonald's Corp., http://www.mcdonalds.com
McDonalds Britain, http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk
Sustain, http://www.sustainweb.org/index.asp
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