Health food nuts can take pleasure in the corporate evolution of McDonalds, a company reeling from bad publicity, lawsuits and the affects of a clever little film called Supersize Me (Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary) which was to fast food what Farenheit 9-11 was to the Bush Administration. Oh, McDonald’s is still selling those nasty burgers and fries but fruit and salad is becoming so important to the company that it is impacting fruit and vegetable producers across the country. The New York Times has the whole story (free registration required). Perhaps the most interesting part of the report is McDonald’s interaction with Newman’s Own, a very responsible food producing company.
“Preservatives were a big issue for Newman's Own, which is responsible for supplying dressing for the salads. When McDonald's first approached the company in early 2002, Paul Newman, the actor who is its chief executive, made it clear that the arrangement would have to be on his terms. One condition was that the company would not use artificial preservatives.
When we told them we wouldn't do salad dressings with preservatives, they were a little scared," recalled Tom Indoe, the chief operating officer at Newman's Own. ‘We taught them they really didn't need them.’ He added that McDonald's was eager to work with Newman's because of the company's all-natural products and reputation for corporate responsibility.
Despite his initial reservations about working with McDonald's, Mr. Newman went ahead because sales to a customer of McDonald's size could improve his company's bottom line - and therefore increase the amount it gives to charity. Newman's Own contributes all its profits to charity; working with McDonald's has increased that amount by more than $3 million a year.
As part of the three-year deal, though, Mr. Newman has approval over all advertisements and promotions that feature the premium salads. That represents an unusual concession for a company like McDonald's, which is accustomed to calling the shots. So far, nothing has been rejected, Mr. Indoe said.”
And how does McDonald’s preserve the freshness of their apples and salad greens?
“Despite the fragility of the salads and fruit, McDonald's says it does not use any artificial preservatives or additives to keep them fresh longer. The calcium ascorbate in the Apple Dippers is not much different from the orange or lemon juice that many people pour on their homemade fruit salad to keep it from browning.
At Ready Pac's plant in Irwindale, Calif., oxygen is sucked out of the large lettuce packing bags and replaced with nitrogen, an inert gas. This is the same process used on bags of lettuce sold in supermarkets, and, as a result, the McDonald's supply of spring mix lasts about the same as they do: 14 days. Because of that, said Mr. Smith, the McDonald's executive, "we have to have a very tight-knit distribution network."
Of course, bad habits die hard. The Apple Dippers come with a separately packaged caramel sauce which contains nine grams of sugar.
Kendra and I were talking about MacDonalds last night and how the hot apple pie things they sold when we were kids were so hot that the glutinous jelly inside would stick to the roof of your mouth and burn your gums. The only thing I ever plan on doing in a MacDonalds is using their bathrooms on long car trips. I hope Newman's Own donates some of their MacDonalds money to PETA.
Posted by: Noble Smith | February 21, 2005 at 07:50 AM