News

McDonald’s Australia might put the Big Mac on a diet

March 6, 2011

Is McDonald’s Australia looking to tap into an increasingly health conscious consumer base? Perhaps. And it may do so with its flagship Big Mac.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, McDonald’s is considering a light version of the Big Mac.
Catriona Noble, head of the chain in Australia, said the company needs to take healthier steps with its core menu to win over more families demanding better-for-you options. For example, a Big Mac Light, she said, could include a low-fat sauce and maybe a whole grain bun.

If the company were to add a skinnier version of the Big Mac, it would be two to three years from now, Noble said, noting that's a typical timeframe for such massive changes. The Angus beef burgers took three years to execute.

From the story:

''There's nothing wrong with a Big Mac, it's great quality food, it's 100-percent beef, but it's probably not something you want to eat every day,” Noble said.

To counter a backlash in the nation's obesity crisis, McDonald's has added healthier choices such as salads and wraps and taken steps such as reducing sugar and salt in its buns, changing its cooking oil and disclosing nutritional information.

Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said McDonald's would have to increase the salad and reduce the size of the meat and cheese in the burger, change the sauce and replace the bun with a crustier one, meaning the burger would take longer to eat and consumers would feel sated without having to buy more, ''which won't appeal to them [McDonald's].''