Recipe for success? Salt and fat, admits McDonald's chief

THE woman given the job of promoting McDonald's has revealed the secret of the fast-food chain's success – salt and fat.

In what some might see as a slightly-too-honest appraisal of her company's products, Jill McDonald, chief marketing officer for McDonald's UK, admitted that if the firm removed unhealthy ingredients, consumers would vote with their feet and eat elsewhere.

A move towards healthier choices – including salads and more chicken – has won McDonald's some plaudits among those trying to promote better diet.

But in an interview with The Scotsman, Ms McDonald said the core market remained burgers because that was what the public wanted – along with the salt and fat which came with them.

"Although we are very clear we are a burger business – that is why primarily people come to us – our customers are more aware of the need to follow a balanced diet and we needed to move in line with what customers wanted," she said.

"But fat and salt makes food taste good. There is no point taking all the fat and salt out of your food because people won't like it and they will eat with someone else. We have to make small steps to help people improve their diet."

Ms McDonald's open admission about the staples of the McDonald's menu follows a difficult few years for the chain.

Its reputation was severely hit by the film-maker Martin Spurlock, who documented his physical decline following a strict fast-food diet in the 2004 movie Super Size Me.

Last year, Ms McDonald was named marketer of the year, due to her success in helping to bring transparency and trust to what had become an unpopular brand.

She joined McDonald's in 2006 after working for British Airways and admitted that when she visited one of its restaurants before being offered the job, she "hadn't had a great experience".

Nevertheless, she maintains she was never an enemy of the brand either, and said: "My children eat at McDonald's twice a week."

As well as changes to the menu, the company has relaunched its website to allow consumers to ask questions and find out exactly how much salt, fat and calories are contained in McDonald's products.

But many people would like to see fast-food chains cut unhealthy ingredients in their foods much further.

Fife-based nutritionist Carina Norris said the problem was that people had got used to these fatty and salty foods and liked them. She said: "Ideally, we would like people to start weaning themselves off these tastes and on to healthier options.

"But failing that, it would be great if restaurants and manufacturers did their own bit by taking salt and fat out of foods."

Ms Norris added: "The problem from a business point of view is that no-one wants to be the first one to take fat and salt out of their foods and make them less tasty. People would go somewhere else.

"But if someone like McDonald's would be willing to take this step and people adapted to healthier options, that would be very welcome."

Tam Fry, chairman of the Child Growth Foundation, said: "It is true that humans do require some level of fat, salt and sugar in their diet but not to the extent that companies such as McDonald's have been putting them in their foods.

"McDonald's have tried to improve their menu, but you have to remember that their core business is still cheap, processed food."

Vital for the human diet

SALT and fat are a vital part of the human diet. The body needs a certain amount of salt to function properly, while fat is also necessary for energy.

Nutritionist Carina Norris said evolution had driven people to develop a taste for salt and fat and seek these out.

This was particularly important during times when food was in short supply.

"The problem is that these tastes are much more accessible to us now and so the evolutionary process is working against us.

"We are also a lot less physically active than we once were," Ms Norris said.