McDonald’s India goes ‘healthy’

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 4

Fast food chain McDonald’s said on Wednesday it would begin selling “healthier” food options in its restaurants in western and southern India.

According to Hardcastle Restaurants, which holds the master franchise for McDonald’s in western and southern India, said it was reducing sodium and fat while adding more fibre to burgers and other products sold at its outlets.

“‘The Good Food Story’ reinforce(s) its commitment towards promoting nutritive and wholesome food. McDonald’s strength lies in its ability to continuously evolve and remain relevant to its consumers. The Good Food Story is one such journey that the company has undertaken to bring nutritious and wholesome food to them,” Westlife Development, which owns Hardcastle Restaurants, said in a filing to the stock exchanges on Tuesday.

According to the company, it has reduced sodium in fries, nuggets, patties and sauces by over 20% while oil content in mayonnaise has been reduced by 40% making it the first ever low-fat mayo in the Indian quick service restaurant industry, Westlife Development said. It added that fat content in food offered at McDonald’s India was down 25% while calories have been reduced by up to 11% while dietary fibre content in McDonald’s patties has gone up by as much as 20-25%.

“All modifications in ‘’The Good Food Story’’ have been a result of over three years of persistent re-engineering of our products just so that we could offer more wholesome and balanced food choices to our customers at a great value,” Amit Jatia, vice-chairman of Westlife Development, said.

Hardcastle Restaurants holds the McDonald’’s franchise for restaurants across 37 cities in Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

The franchisee-holder for McDonald’’s in North India is locked in a dispute with the American-headquartered multinational.