McDonald's puts fresh fruit on menu

The Daily Telegraph ^ | March 1, 2003 | The Daily Telegraph

[MadIvan]

McDonald's, the fast food giant accused by critics of selling unhealthy food high in fat, is to put fresh fruit on its menu for the first time.

Sliced apples and grapes will be sold from next month in Britain, where the new range is being launched.

McDonald's said yesterday its "new tastes" menu, which will include pasta salad and the Robinsons Fruit Shoot drink with "no added sugar", was an attempt to give customers more choice.

The firm, which recently announced its first loss, said the 59p bagged fruit would provide the equivalent of one of the recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

However, the announcement drew a sceptical response from parent groups and nutritionists, who said that Fruit Shoot contained just nine per cent juice and had added sweeteners, colouring and preservatives.

Jeanette Longfield, of Sustain, the food and farming alliance, said: "The critical thing is how McDonald's will sell it."

Annie Seeley, co-ordinator of Parent's Jury, a group of 1,500 mothers and fathers, said of Robinsons Fruit Shoot: "Parents feel it is misleading to call a juice drink as such when the amount of juice is so low."

McDonald's insisted that it would promote the new menu well.

[billorites]

I loved taking my kids to McDonald's in France last summer.

The kids got what they wanted, my wife and I got a Heineken and a bottle of wine. Decent espresso too.

France really is a superior, more sophisticated and advanced society as compared to ours.

'cept for all the smokin and that pesky anti-semitism thing.

[BunnySlippers]

Whats a plantain ? Am I missing something ?

I take that you don't like in an urban area in the east or west. Plantains are Latin bananas ... they are used in stews and, well ... fried planains. They are wonderful.

[BunnySlippers]

France really is a superior, more sophisticated and advanced society as compared to ours.

Are you are they're really superior? Or just have better taste (or superior) in love and appreciation of foods and the arts? But I have never met a Frenchman more sophisticated or advanced in the world of ideas, concepts, science or technology.

[mlo]

France really is a superior, more sophisticated and advanced society as compared to ours.

'cept for all the smokin and that pesky anti-semitism thing.

Now you're going to get it. You forgot the socialism.

I doubt that France is more advanced, but they certainly appreciate good food more.

[billorites]

I didn't notice the socialism on our short trip.

I did catch an impression of the young women in France. They're pretty attractive. And not fat tubs of lard.

When I got back to Boston, I saw lots of tubs. Big, fat American tubs of lard.

[FreedomCalls]

They already serve ketchup. Isn't that considered a fresh vegetable?

[homeschool mama]

We refuse to eat at McDonalds. ack.

[homeschool mama]

**They already serve ketchup. Isn't that considered a fresh vegetable? **

Ketchup comes from tomatoes...which is actually a fruit.

[homeschool mama]

**I did catch an impression of the young women in France. They're pretty attractive.**

...with braided armpit hair. LOL

[Enough_Deceit]

"Now if they'd just have the famous Cuban/ Latin American fried plantains (with all the grease) I'd be happy. I look after my health, not McDonald's."

Fried in butter, yuuuuuuuummmmmy!

[FreedomCalls]

Ketchup comes from tomatoes...

And all this time I thought it came from a squirt bottle.

[Clemenza]

Now if they'd just have the famous Cuban/ Latin American fried plantains (with all the grease) I'd be happy. I look after my health, not McDonald's.

One of the things I miss about Miami, Tostones and Cafe Cubano at 3AM. There are some things New York DOESN'T have.

[Clemenza]

I did catch an impression of the young women in France. They're pretty attractive. And not fat tubs of lard.

French women are scrawny ugly things with annoying accents. You want REAL women and better food, go to Italy.

BTW: The average NYer has better taste than any tight-a-ssed Parisian. The "French are sophisticated" is a myth believed by left-wing morons. Oh, another thing, for all of their sophistication, the French only seem fit to bathe once a week.--- Clemenza (Who believes Francophiles should be shot on site)

[Joe_October]

I would give a weeks pay for a Big Mac and fries the way they made them 20 years ago, but now the whole thing is excrement.

It all started when they changed the styrofoam package for the Big Mac to paper to save themselves from the whacko environmentalists. Then, went the fries, the bread, the vegetables, the sauce. All modified to make the menu more exciting, each step making it worst. Stupid ass visionless American businessmen. They should all be shot as traiters. We could bring the freakin' Red China to its knees by offering them those original sandwiches. Now, it's just a nasty microwaved nasty mess packaged with a keen plastic toy.

They should have closed the doors, burned every restaurant to the ground and salted the ground. What a complete failure it has become.

It's just a matter of time before they do that anyway.

Hell, a week's pay, I'd give a freakin' months pay.

[Joe_October]

Indeed.