Apples and walnuts shine at star-studded launch of McDonald's new salad
Apples and walnuts shine at star-studded launch of McDonald's new salad
NEW YORK - Fast food giant McDonald's launched its new premium Fruit & Walnut Salad May 4 at its Times Square location on 42nd Street and Broadway, here. The product is expected to be added to its menus in restaurants across the country in line with the company's national advertising campaign scheduled to begin on May 10.
Details of the event were kept a tight secret until the morning of the launch, when it was heralded with media representatives and industry professionals who were informed and entertained by a list of personalities and celebrities known for their health, fitness and nutritional concerns. Among them were tennis pro Venus Williams, members of the musical group Destiny's Child Beyonce Knowles, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland; Bob Greene, who is Oprah Winfrey's personal fitness trainer; Donna Richardson, the host of the "Donna Richardson Show," and Dayanara Torres, who was Miss Universe in 1993.
But all eyes were on the Fruit & Walnut Salad, which is particularly great news for the U.S. apple industry because it is expected to generate sales of 35 million pounds of apples annually. That is in addition to the anticipated 20 million pounds McDonald's will use every year for its Apple Dippers menu item.
Among the industry members present at the event were Jeffrey Crist, chairman of the U.S. Apple Association and president of Crist Bros. Orchards Inc. in Walden, NY; Wendy Davis, director of communications and consumer health for the U.S. Apple Association; and Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. "It is most exciting for the apple industry in the U.S. to be partnering with McDonald's in this effort to help consumers improve their diets, said. Mr. Crist.
Mr. Allen agreed, adding, "This is a great opportunity for the apple industry to share in McDonald's approach to better health. At the same time, it will be a major boon to apple growers in the country.
The Fruit & Walnut Salad also includes fresh seedless grapes and California walnuts. McDonald's has entered into a contract with Diamond of California to supply the walnuts. Also on hand at the launch were Dick Wolf, vice president of ingredient and foodservice sales for Diamond, and Tim Cannon, director of marketing for the organization.
"McDonald's is the first quick-serve restaurant to use significant amounts of California walnuts, said Mr. Wolf. "We predict it will become between the top third or fourth highest user of the product because of this menu item. We have worked with the company for the past 18 months to work out the details and design the packet that is served on the side with the salad.
In a news release, California Table Grape Commission President Kathleen Nave said, "The main reason to use grapes in a salad or just to eat them as a snack is because they taste great. But there is also a lot of research on the health benefits of eating fresh grapes. When you combine the taste and health, it's only natural that people will want to put fresh grapes on their menus.
"McDonald's initial estimate of grape volume for this one salad is nearly 600,000 boxes - and that's only for U.S. outlets, continued Ms. Nave. "In addition, the salad is already available in Canada, and grapes are now used in other ways in Europe. The potential is significant.
Good nutrition, some believe, was a long time coming from quick-serve restaurants. But many are working hard to let the public and media know that they have put better health high on their list of priorities. Most major quick-serve restaurant corporations have used a high level of creativity to develop menu items that they hope will continue to attract customers, and at the same time offer nutritious alternatives to high-fat and sugar-filled menu items. And in those efforts, most have turned to the fresh produce industry.
In May 2004 at a press event in Washington, DC, McDonald's announced the details of its Balanced Lifestyles commitment to children. It included the launch of new Happy Meal Choices. In June, McDonald's began giving children and their parents the opportunity to mix and match traditional Happy Meal favorites like french fries, hamburgers and soft drinks with Apple Dippers (fresh, peeled apple slices served with a low-fat caramel dipping sauce), apple juices and milk alternatives.
Peter Gregg, communications director for the New York Apple Association, said that Apple Dippers have been one of the bigger boons to the apple industry in the past couple of years. The item is available at over 13,500 McDonald's locations across the country.
"If the new 'Fruit & Walnut Salad' adds another 35 million pounds of apples to their annual figure, McDonald's could become the largest user of apples ever in the history of the apply industry, said Mr. Gregg. "Besides grapes and walnuts, the salad includes low-fat yogurt.
Nancy Foster, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association, said, "As McDonald's continues to expand its menu, offering choices for a more balanced menu, we are thrilled that apples have been incorporated into its newest premium salad. McDonald's is helping make it easier for American's to incorporate apples into their diet in order to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
Besides being a delicious source of dietary fiber, research has shown that apples help digestion and may promote weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, supplying 20 percent of the daily fiber recommendation. A recent study conducted at Cornell University found that apples play a vital role in breast cancer reduction by decreasing both the incidence and number of breast cancer tumors. Apples are also linked to reducing the risk of stroke, type II diabetes, cancer, asthma and Alzheimer's disease.
McDonald's Fruit & Walnut Salad is part of a growing trend. Nearly every major quick-serve chain has some sort of fresh fruit product on its menu or in the planning stage. But dealing with fresh-cut fruit in a foodservice operation is a challenge: fresh-cut fruit has a short shelf life; it is costly to store and requires refrigeration; and it needs special packaging for proper respiration.
Despite the challenges, nothing spurs creativity faster than when consumers want something and suppliers think they want a lot of it and in many areas.
Retail grocers have proven that fresh-cut fruit is an important category - in fact it is now a $3.8 billion business annually. It stands to reason that the savvy marketing specialists at quick-serve restaurants would want a piece of that action.
Wendy's fruit bowl entree with cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and grapes has been touted as a major success. The $4.29 salad includes low-fat strawberry dipping sauce and romaine lettuce. Wendy's also offers mandarin oranges in kids' meals and a la carte. Chick-fil-A began selling fresh fruit sides a couple of years ago, and soon after began offering the option on their breakfast menu, which the company said is highly successful. Jack in the Box is offering applesauce in kids' meals as an alternative to french fries.
Burger King also turned to apples, but in "Mott's brand strawberry-flavored applesauce. The company offers it as an a la carte item and as a kid meal substitute.
National quick-serve restaurants never make willy-nilly decision regarding what will be added to their menus. A lot of money goes into advertising, promotion, packaging, menu changes and serving utensils. In all, it takes millions of dollars to add a new product to a national restaurant chain's menu.
McDonald's is no exception. It may have organized the Times Square event with the secrecy of a Papal Enclave, but in fact the company has been testing the Fruit & Walnut Salad in Southern California since last summer, and has no doubt already discovered that American consumers love it.
Details of the event were kept a tight secret until the morning of the launch, when it was heralded with media representatives and industry professionals who were informed and entertained by a list of personalities and celebrities known for their health, fitness and nutritional concerns. Among them were tennis pro Venus Williams, members of the musical group Destiny's Child Beyonce Knowles, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland; Bob Greene, who is Oprah Winfrey's personal fitness trainer; Donna Richardson, the host of the "Donna Richardson Show," and Dayanara Torres, who was Miss Universe in 1993.
But all eyes were on the Fruit & Walnut Salad, which is particularly great news for the U.S. apple industry because it is expected to generate sales of 35 million pounds of apples annually. That is in addition to the anticipated 20 million pounds McDonald's will use every year for its Apple Dippers menu item.
Among the industry members present at the event were Jeffrey Crist, chairman of the U.S. Apple Association and president of Crist Bros. Orchards Inc. in Walden, NY; Wendy Davis, director of communications and consumer health for the U.S. Apple Association; and Jim Allen, president of the New York Apple Association. "It is most exciting for the apple industry in the U.S. to be partnering with McDonald's in this effort to help consumers improve their diets, said. Mr. Crist.
Mr. Allen agreed, adding, "This is a great opportunity for the apple industry to share in McDonald's approach to better health. At the same time, it will be a major boon to apple growers in the country.
The Fruit & Walnut Salad also includes fresh seedless grapes and California walnuts. McDonald's has entered into a contract with Diamond of California to supply the walnuts. Also on hand at the launch were Dick Wolf, vice president of ingredient and foodservice sales for Diamond, and Tim Cannon, director of marketing for the organization.
"McDonald's is the first quick-serve restaurant to use significant amounts of California walnuts, said Mr. Wolf. "We predict it will become between the top third or fourth highest user of the product because of this menu item. We have worked with the company for the past 18 months to work out the details and design the packet that is served on the side with the salad.
In a news release, California Table Grape Commission President Kathleen Nave said, "The main reason to use grapes in a salad or just to eat them as a snack is because they taste great. But there is also a lot of research on the health benefits of eating fresh grapes. When you combine the taste and health, it's only natural that people will want to put fresh grapes on their menus.
"McDonald's initial estimate of grape volume for this one salad is nearly 600,000 boxes - and that's only for U.S. outlets, continued Ms. Nave. "In addition, the salad is already available in Canada, and grapes are now used in other ways in Europe. The potential is significant.
Good nutrition, some believe, was a long time coming from quick-serve restaurants. But many are working hard to let the public and media know that they have put better health high on their list of priorities. Most major quick-serve restaurant corporations have used a high level of creativity to develop menu items that they hope will continue to attract customers, and at the same time offer nutritious alternatives to high-fat and sugar-filled menu items. And in those efforts, most have turned to the fresh produce industry.
In May 2004 at a press event in Washington, DC, McDonald's announced the details of its Balanced Lifestyles commitment to children. It included the launch of new Happy Meal Choices. In June, McDonald's began giving children and their parents the opportunity to mix and match traditional Happy Meal favorites like french fries, hamburgers and soft drinks with Apple Dippers (fresh, peeled apple slices served with a low-fat caramel dipping sauce), apple juices and milk alternatives.
Peter Gregg, communications director for the New York Apple Association, said that Apple Dippers have been one of the bigger boons to the apple industry in the past couple of years. The item is available at over 13,500 McDonald's locations across the country.
"If the new 'Fruit & Walnut Salad' adds another 35 million pounds of apples to their annual figure, McDonald's could become the largest user of apples ever in the history of the apply industry, said Mr. Gregg. "Besides grapes and walnuts, the salad includes low-fat yogurt.
Nancy Foster, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association, said, "As McDonald's continues to expand its menu, offering choices for a more balanced menu, we are thrilled that apples have been incorporated into its newest premium salad. McDonald's is helping make it easier for American's to incorporate apples into their diet in order to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
Besides being a delicious source of dietary fiber, research has shown that apples help digestion and may promote weight loss. A medium apple contains about five grams of fiber, supplying 20 percent of the daily fiber recommendation. A recent study conducted at Cornell University found that apples play a vital role in breast cancer reduction by decreasing both the incidence and number of breast cancer tumors. Apples are also linked to reducing the risk of stroke, type II diabetes, cancer, asthma and Alzheimer's disease.
McDonald's Fruit & Walnut Salad is part of a growing trend. Nearly every major quick-serve chain has some sort of fresh fruit product on its menu or in the planning stage. But dealing with fresh-cut fruit in a foodservice operation is a challenge: fresh-cut fruit has a short shelf life; it is costly to store and requires refrigeration; and it needs special packaging for proper respiration.
Despite the challenges, nothing spurs creativity faster than when consumers want something and suppliers think they want a lot of it and in many areas.
Retail grocers have proven that fresh-cut fruit is an important category - in fact it is now a $3.8 billion business annually. It stands to reason that the savvy marketing specialists at quick-serve restaurants would want a piece of that action.
Wendy's fruit bowl entree with cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and grapes has been touted as a major success. The $4.29 salad includes low-fat strawberry dipping sauce and romaine lettuce. Wendy's also offers mandarin oranges in kids' meals and a la carte. Chick-fil-A began selling fresh fruit sides a couple of years ago, and soon after began offering the option on their breakfast menu, which the company said is highly successful. Jack in the Box is offering applesauce in kids' meals as an alternative to french fries.
Burger King also turned to apples, but in "Mott's brand strawberry-flavored applesauce. The company offers it as an a la carte item and as a kid meal substitute.
National quick-serve restaurants never make willy-nilly decision regarding what will be added to their menus. A lot of money goes into advertising, promotion, packaging, menu changes and serving utensils. In all, it takes millions of dollars to add a new product to a national restaurant chain's menu.
McDonald's is no exception. It may have organized the Times Square event with the secrecy of a Papal Enclave, but in fact the company has been testing the Fruit & Walnut Salad in Southern California since last summer, and has no doubt already discovered that American consumers love it.
