On World Health Day, McDonald's India West and South – owned and operated by Westlife Development Ltd – reaffirmed its commitment to improving the nutritional value of the food served at its restaurants.

The brand, a pioneer of many firsts in the industry, is also the first QSR brand in India to remove artificial colours, preservatives, and flavouring from select food items. It will now display allergen and nutritional information for the entire menu in-store and on its app, allowing customers to make healthier food choices through its 'Real Food, Real Good' campaign.

McDonald's believes that nutritional information should be easily accessible to consumers in order for them to make informed food choices. Consumers today are concerned not only with what their food contains, but also with what it does not contain. As a result, in order to increase consumer trust in the brand, it is raising awareness about the ingredients in its food by emphasising its progressive move toward Clean Labels.

McSpicy Fried Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Veg Nuggets, Chicken Strips, Hashbrowns, and Hotcakes now contain no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. All patties and the iconic McDonald's fries are free of artificial preservatives, colours, and flavours. The brand is launching its "Real Food, Real Good" campaign, which will highlight the quality of its food. The brand has always strived to be transparent about the food served in its restaurants and the ingredients used in its products so that customers can make informed decisions. This will be an ongoing campaign across traditional and social media to raise consumer awareness of the brand's food-related efforts.

"Food is like technology, which continues to evolve with time," Smita Jatia, Director, Westlife Development Ltd. At McDonald's, we are committed to serving superior quality food that makes consumers feel good about opting for our brand. We have been working relentlessly to enhance the nutritional profile of our food. Some years back we introduced whole wheat buns across our restaurants to give consumers a nutritious choice for their burgers. Similarly, we have reengineered many of our products to enhance the nutritional profile of our food and make them more wholesome. As we go forward, we are committed to adding more products to our menu that give our consumers more wholesome options to choose from".

When it comes to menu innovation, McDonald's has always been the industry leader. To ensure complete transparency, Westlife has invested heavily in establishing a closed-loop supply chain with 100 percent traceability of ingredients back to their farms since bringing the global brand to India. Its commitment to serving real good food in its restaurants is evident from previous initiatives in this area. (AS/IANS)

Keywords: Health, Junk food, Lifestyle, Nutritious Food.