McDonald's Ditches Soda In Happy Meal Menus

http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/mcdonald-s-ditches-soda-happy-meal-menus/244431/?ttl=1380840330#prclt-zdhF1JiJ

McDonald's Ditches Soda In Happy Meal Menus
Company Will Only List Water, Milk and Juice as Beverage Options

McDonald's will offer side salads and fruit as an option in its value meals in its bigger markets, and will also begin pushing healthier drinks for its Happy Meals.

The moves are part of a number of health-centric global initiatives the chain announced today with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a non-profit founded by the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to reduce childhood obesity.

"This commitment reflects McDonald's progress regarding nutrition and well-being," said McDonald's CEO Don Thompson. He noted that it's "another important step in our journey. And we know there's more to do. We will continue to use our size and scale around the world to help educate, empower and encourage our customers to make informed choices so they can live a balanced and healthy lifestyle."

As part of its commitment, McDonald's will only list water, milk and juice as beverage options for Happy Meals on menu boards, in-store and external advertising. It will also utilize Happy Meal and "other packaging innovations and designs to generate excitement for fruit, vegetable, low/reduced-fat dairy, or water options for kids." The company promised to "ensure 100% of all advertising directed to children to include a fun nutrition or children's well-being message."

That McDonald's will be offering a side salad or fruit as an option in its value meals is significant in that to date it has only offered fries. How the salad and fruit options will affect the price of the value meals is unknown at this point, and how many consumers will choose the fruit or salad remains to be seen.

'Historic progress'
McDonald's has been historically slammed by consumer-advocacy groups for its food, especially for marketing Happy Meals to kids. And though some activists commend the moves, they believe there is more for the industry to do. "Getting soda out of Happy Meals is historic progress that should immediately be adopted by Burger King, Wendy's, and other chains," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Soda and other sugar drinks are leading promoters of obesity and diabetes and one day it will seem crazy that restaurants ever made this junk the default beverage for kids."

Corporate Accountability International, another watchdog group, in May at the annual McDonald's shareholders meeting submitted a proposal asking the chain to assess the impact of its nutritional efforts. The proposal was voted down by shareholders.

Coca-Cola is the exclusive soft-drink supplier to McDonald's, which Beverage Digest said is Coke's largest fountain account by far. In a statement, Coca-Cola said, "We applaud McDonald's efforts to partner with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Obesity is a serious and complex global health problem which will take everyone's collective efforts. Earlier this year, we announced four global well-being commitments, including one to not advertise any of our beverages to children under 12. We have proudly partnered with McDonald's since 1955 and supply them with a wide variety of beverages, including low and no-calorie choices."

Marketing unclear
McDonald's in 2011 overhauled its Happy Meals to begin containing apple slices and fewer fries. It also offered low-fat dairy option, thought it was not the default. The result was a 20% reduction in calories in what the chain calls its most popular Happy Meals.

How McDonald's will market its Happy Meals moving forward remains to be seen, but the chain in early 2012 launched a Happy Meal campaign highlighting nutrition. Subsequent Happy Meal ads have highlighted lowfat milk and apple slices as opposed to the fries.

McDonald's will start the initiatives in 20 major markets representing more than 85% of global sales, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S. An independent third party will assess its progress. McDonald's said that 30 to 50% of the 20 major markets will be implemented within three years and 100% of the 20 markets by 2020.

I think it is funny everyone here has negative comments about the menu change, mcdonalds would never have had to make these changes had people not complained and used fast good as the excuse for obesity in the US.

Part of turning back the dial on the way this country's state of health is gone is making sure that access to unhealthy food is reduced, forcing parents to ask for a soda with their Happy Meal is a small, but actually effective, step in that direction. The fact that a Happy Meal de facto came with a soda was moronic, no meal fed to a child should ever "come" with a soda.

In fact, I'm in general all for forcing parents to feed their children healthy.

But you're assuming that someone who thinks exactly like you would be the one deciding what is "healthy" and what isn't. What if the hypothetical regulatory body put in charge of arbitrating such matters DIDN'T agree with you? You'd be a lot less hot to trot with government interlopers making your decisions for you, right?

McD has offered sliced apples as an aternative to fries for some time. Only about 10% of parents opt for the apples though.

Further to all this.... Why do you think they call it a 'Happy Meal?' If it was supposed to be GOOD for kids ( nutritionally.... ) they probably would have thought up a more fitting name. Like ... the 'It tastes like @$$ but it's good for you meal.'

What's happy about a kid eating sliced apple and orange juice? That sounds like what they'd dole out at preschool everyday.

Further to all this.... Why do you think they call it a 'Happy Meal?' If it was supposed to be GOOD for kids ( nutritionally.... ) they probably would have thought up a more fitting name. Like ... the 'It tastes like @$$ but it's good for you meal.'

What's happy about a kid eating sliced apple and orange juice? That sounds like what they'd dole out at preschool everyday.

Um .. what? I'm pretty sure "Happy Meal" is a marketing strategy. Eat our food, get a toy, play with the clown, be happy.

But I have no idea what you are trying to say above. That a child can never be happy eating an apple?

As a reformed soda addict I do not let my child (3yrs old) drink soda. Chocolate milk is her treat. I know that as she gets older she will taste it and have it occasionally but as of right now I do not know what age that will be. I do however know it will be beyond the happy meals years. I think it is absurd that anyone would boycott McDonalds because of this choice.

Further to all this.... Why do you think they call it a 'Happy Meal?' If it was supposed to be GOOD for kids ( nutritionally.... ) they probably would have thought up a more fitting name. Like ... the 'It tastes like @$$ but it's good for you meal.'

What's happy about a kid eating sliced apple and orange juice? That sounds like what they'd dole out at preschool everyday.

Um .. what? I'm pretty sure "Happy Meal" is a marketing strategy. Eat our food, get a toy, play with the clown, be happy.

But I have no idea what you are trying to say above. That a child can never be happy eating an apple?

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

I did wonder this. How many parents/children are going to complain about not being able to order a soda with their Happy Meal? Quite a lot of people won't be happy with not being able to have a choice in my opinion.

As juice frequently has similar calories as soda this as guessed is just a PR exercise to appease the Soda is the work of the devil crowd.

The occasional Soda as part of a balanced diet is no problem

I used to think this too, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a bit of sugar in your diet but the other crap and chemicals that soda is full of does makes me wonder about how safe it is to consume. It only takes one search of 'chemicals in soda' on Google to bring up the word 'cancer' multiple times.

I think these ingredients should be banned until proven whether or not they're safe for human consumption.

Well, soda is full of chemicals, but only because everything that exists is made of chemicals. Water is a chemical, FFS. Can you be more specific as to which "crap and chemicals" in soda you think should be "banned" and why each one is harmful?

To help you out, here are the ingredients in Coca Cola:

Carbonated water
Sugar (sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup depending on country of origin)
Caffeine
Phosphoric acid
Caramel color
Natural flavor

Can you tell me which of these should be banned, and why?

Sure. Now... I'm not a scientist but I have read quite a bit and watched documentaries on these things.

So apparently:

1. Long term exposure to caramel colouring lead to an increase in lung cancer in mice
2. Aspartame in diet drinks have been linked to cancer and weight gain
3. Excessive phosphorus exposure (ie two or more cokes a day) is linked to an increased risk of kidney disease
4. High-fructose corn syrup linked to obesity

Sure, this is theoretical. Which is why I personally think it should be banned until proved it's safe for ingesting.

Tobacco was once considered safe until people started dying from it. People are currently dying from obesity related diseases. I'm not a clean eater by any means and sometimes I drink diet sodas too, but they do need to be looked into properly and should not be given to children in my opinion.

I can't find studies that say any of the things you've claimed. But you're not being consistent for one--you said sodas, and now switch to diet sodas--and diet sodas are sweetened with various different sweeteners, not just aspartame. The thing makes HFCS associated with obesity is he fructose, and the fructose content of apple juice is higher than most sodas--as is total sugar content. Shall we also ban apple juice until it's proven safe? And saying something shouldn't be given to children, or should be looked in to, is not the same thing as being banned, which is what you initially advocated. I think everything should be studied, but banning is another animal altogether.

For the record, I would not support banning tobacco either.

I didn't specify a preference to either so I'm not being inconsistent. Pretty sure McDonald's won't be advertising diet sodas as well as regular sodas. And like I said, it's my opinion. A quick Google search brings up plenty of health concerns around these drinks. When I said it shouldn't be given to children, that is my own opinion, as in I wouldn't give it to mine if I had them. What other people do is up to them.

I wouldn't necessarily ban sodas all together but I don't think they should be consumed due to these health concerns, which in my opinion, means banning them (or specifically, the potentially dangerous ingredients in them) until we do know these things which is what I stated originally. Children do buy these drinks after all. Tobacco is dangerous, hence it having an age limit to buy. I also wouldn't ban tobacco since I'm addicted to nicotine. Adults can make informed decisions, children can't.

That's my view anyway, if yours differs, fair enough.

Well this will not work and will not last. As a parent we treat McDonalds and Happy meals as a treat or reward and part of the treat is having a soda. I'll give it a few weeks and people will be screaming or going somewhere else.

I did wonder this. How many parents/children are going to complain about not being able to order a soda with their Happy Meal? Quite a lot of people won't be happy with not being able to have a choice in my opinion.

As juice frequently has similar calories as soda this as guessed is just a PR exercise to appease the Soda is the work of the devil crowd.

The occasional Soda as part of a balanced diet is no problem

I used to think this too, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a bit of sugar in your diet but the other crap and chemicals that soda is full of does makes me wonder about how safe it is to consume. It only takes one search of 'chemicals in soda' on Google to bring up the word 'cancer' multiple times.

I think these ingredients should be banned until proven whether or not they're safe for human consumption.

Well, soda is full of chemicals, but only because everything that exists is made of chemicals. Water is a chemical, FFS. Can you be more specific as to which "crap and chemicals" in soda you think should be "banned" and why each one is harmful?

To help you out, here are the ingredients in Coca Cola:

Carbonated water
Sugar (sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup depending on country of origin)
Caffeine
Phosphoric acid
Caramel color
Natural flavor

Can you tell me which of these should be banned, and why?

Sure. Now... I'm not a scientist but I have read quite a bit and watched documentaries on these things.

So apparently:

1. Long term exposure to caramel colouring lead to an increase in lung cancer in mice
2. Aspartame in diet drinks have been linked to cancer and weight gain
3. Excessive phosphorus exposure (ie two or more cokes a day) is linked to an increased risk of kidney disease
4. High-fructose corn syrup linked to obesity

Sure, this is theoretical. Which is why I personally think it should be banned until proved it's safe for ingesting.

Tobacco was once considered safe until people started dying from it. People are currently dying from obesity related diseases. I'm not a clean eater by any means and sometimes I drink diet sodas too, but they do need to be looked into properly and should not be given to children in my opinion.

I can't find studies that say any of the things you've claimed. But you're not being consistent for one--you said sodas, and now switch to diet sodas--and diet sodas are sweetened with various different sweeteners, not just aspartame. The thing makes HFCS associated with obesity is he fructose, and the fructose content of apple juice is higher than most sodas--as is total sugar content. Shall we also ban apple juice until it's proven safe? And saying something shouldn't be given to children, or should be looked in to, is not the same thing as being banned, which is what you initially advocated. I think everything should be studied, but banning is another animal altogether.

For the record, I would not support banning tobacco either.

I didn't specify a preference to either so I'm not being inconsistent. Pretty sure McDonald's won't be advertising diet sodas as well as regular sodas. And like I said, it's my opinion. A quick Google search brings up plenty of health concerns around these drinks. When I said it shouldn't be given to children, that is my own opinion, as in I wouldn't give it to mine if I had them. What other people do is up to them.

I wouldn't necessarily ban sodas all together but I don't think they should be consumed due to these health concerns, which in my opinion, means banning them (or specifically, the potentially dangerous ingredients in them) until we do know these things which is what I stated originally. Children do buy these drinks after all. Tobacco is dangerous, hence it having an age limit to buy. I also wouldn't ban tobacco since I'm addicted to nicotine. Adults can make informed decisions, children can't.

That's my view anyway, if yours differs, fair enough.

A quick google search on anything will bring up information, but it does not mean that it is true.

Yes, thank you. I'm aware of this. I couldn't cite Wikipedia in my University papers either. I've already stated more than once that these are theories and that what I've said is just my own personal opinion.