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Monday, February 9, 2015

McDonald's India cuts salt, calories in burgers and fries, (NYSE: MCD)

McDonald's Corp is cutting the amount of calories and salt on its Indian menu as it fights to hold on to customers in a rapidly growing developing market where newer, healthier fast-food options are just starting to catch on. The burger chain is known globally for the consistency of its food, down to the thickness of fries or the amount of cheese on burgers, and changes run the risk of upsetting customers who expect the same taste on every visit, everywhere.Amit Jatia, vice president of one of India's two main McDonald's franchisees, said that changes to reduce sodium and calories in fries, buns and sauces had been done gradually, and were subtle enough to keep taste consistent and customers happy. McDonald's has not talked about these changes previously."It wasn't as if we suddenly cut the salt in our foods one day. Our menu and sourcing teams have been working to make slight alterations for months now," Jatia told Reuters in an interview.McDonald's in India has cut sodium in its sauces and buns by 10 percent and in fries by 20 percent, Jatia said. Calories in sauces are down by 30-40 percent over the last six months.

McDonald?s Corporation (McDonald?s) franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants in the global restaurant industry. Shares of MCD fell by 1.35% or $-1.27/share to $92.72. In the past year, the shares have traded as low as $87.62 and as high as $103.78. On average, 6884320 shares of MCD exchange hands on a given day and today's volume is recorded at 8203013.



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