Hain adds healthy touch to McDonald's menu

Natural foods company the Hain Celestial Group is to create a soy-based patty for the McDonald's McVeggie Burger launched last week in 600 McDonald'srestaurants in Southern California.

The McVeggie Burger is being manufacturedexclusively for McDonald's by Yves Veggie Cuisine, a brand wholly owned by TheHain Celestial Group. The McVeggie Burger is part of the new "Salads & More" menu at McDonald's, aimed at offering a 'healthier' menu.

Irwin D. Simon, chairman and CEO of Hain, said: "Foodservice is a distribution channel in which we see great potential, and we believe our partnership with McDonald's is an important partof our strategy to expand our presence in this channel."​

He continued: "One of our company goals is the creation of appealing new products thatmeet the needs of today's consumers who are increasingly interested inbalancing health, taste and convenience. The burger we have created withMcDonald's is a realization of that goal."​

The new McVeggie Burger contains 8 grams of fat and 350 calories, and thesandwich is cholesterol free, low in saturated fat and a good source ofprotein, vitamins and minerals, according to Hain. The McVeggie Burgers are manufactured in theYves Veggie Cuisine plant in Vancouver, Canada.

McDonald's announced this week the membership of its new 'Global Advisory Council on Healthy Lifestyles'. The group is made up of fitness and nutrition experts who will 'help guide the company on activities that address the need for balanced, healthy lifestyles', it said.

McDonald's has recently launched several initiatives to offer more choice on its menu and provide additional consumer information to encourage healthier eating, although with burger and chips at the centre of its menus, the company will struggle to overhaul its image.