Hear the Quality Scout interviews
Nutritional content and food labelling
“My name is Keri Probert. I am a personal trainer and nutrition consultant. This means I advise people on what they should and shouldn't be eating to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I had various reasons for wanting to become a Quality Scout for McDonald’s. I wanted to know for myself whether their food was as bad as everyone always made out, or whether they were in fact the victims of unjust bullying and bad press. I also wanted to know on a professional level what the food contained and what the 'real' ingredients are.”
Keri visited McDonald’s head office in East Finchley to interview Sarah Brocklehurst and Charlotte Turner. The questions she asked on the day are listed below – please click on a specific question in order to hear the answers from McDonald’s. Alternatively, download the complete interview.
Keri Probert nutritional interview
2 Are McDonald’s burgers fried or grilled? How does this affect the overall fat content of the burgers?
Our raw burger patties are 100% beef, of which around 20% is naturally occurring fat. This lets us grill them on a two-sided hot plate with no additional fat or oil required, rather than fry them. (And therefore during the cooking process, some fat will actually be removed, leaving us with approximately 18-19% fat after cooking.)
This natural fat content also enhances the flavour and texture of the hamburgers, so we don’t need any additives or flavour enhancers. They would taste dry and bland with a lower fat content.
3 Why did McDonald’s choose the symbols they did to represent fat, protein and carbohydrates on their packaging?
4 Why doesn’t the nutritional information that we see on the wrappers fully breakdown the fats or sugar content of the food?
5 Who decides the contents of the products that are supplied to McDonald’s by other companies (such as apple pies and doughnuts)?
8 Does McDonald’s intend on stopping the use of hydrogenated fats in their food and if so, when?
Since this interview was conducted, we have reformulated our cooking oil. We now use a non-hydrogenated, GM free blend of rape and sunflower seed oil . This reduces the levels of Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) to their lowest possible levels - less than two percent (naturally occurring TFAs make it impossible to reach zero percent). The oil has also been carefully developed to ensure it does not raise saturated fat content, or change the taste.
9 Why does McDonald’s have the reputation that it does? Did the company used to put bad things in its food?
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Interview
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Who is Sarah?
Quality Assurance Manager, McDonald’s UK
Who is Charlotte?
McDonald’s nutrition expert
