McDonald’s France has announced plans to introduce new salad varieties in June, in a bid to further integrate fruit and vegetables into the fast food giant’s offering, according to French weekly Fld. The restaurant chain currently sells around 27,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables a year, with value sales of some €60m.
“Our objective is to integrate fruit and vegetables into the McDonald’s offering and for that they must match three criteria: attractiveness, convenience and pleasure,” says Sébastien Bordas, director of purchasing, quality and logistics.
Mr Bordas adds that there is still room for growth for dipping vegetables, with seasonality being one of the company’s priorities. “We are striving for seasonality,” he says. “Carrot sticks, a real breakthrough product, are being replaced by mini-tomatoes.”
According to Mr Bordas, the recent launch of pineapple bars has been a success “that has exceeded all our hopes”. Six months after the launch, he says, McDonald’s has managed to sell 1,600 tonnes, and is therefore considering broadening its range of fruit products.
Over the next few months, McDonald’s plans to consult with its suppliers with an eye to improving farming standards in order to respond to consumer expectations. According to Mr Bordas, issues such as water management and organic products will be addressed.
