McDonald’s testing ‘cleaner’ Chicken McNuggets in the US

A single Chicken McNugget from the fast food giant in the US currently contains 32 ingredients including sodium phosphate, yellow corn flour, dextrose

(McDonald's)

McDonald’s has begun testing a new “cleaner label” recipe for its Chicken McNuggets in US restaurants.

A single Chicken McNugget from the fast food giant in the US contains 32 ingredients including sodium phosphate, yellow corn flour, dextrose (a form of glucose) and the list goes on.

But the brand new item, which launched in early March, is made with a “simpler recipe” with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

The revamped McNugget is currently available at 140 restaurants in Oregon and Southwest Washington but McDonald’s hopes to roll out the new recipe nationwide in time for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

“These new Chicken McNuggets are made with a simpler recipe that parents can feel good about while keeping the same great taste they know and love. More than ever, customers care about where their food comes from and how it is prepared,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s US said.

In Europe Chicken McNuggets are already made “with 100% chicken breast meat and no artificial colour or flavours added”, a spokesperson for McDonald’s UK told the Independent.

McDonald’s move comes at a time when the processed food industry is trying to appeal to a growing number of health conscious customers.

Mars food, the company behind Dolmio’s pasta sauce, is to introduce a new label advising its consumers that its products that are higher in fat, salt and sugar should be only eaten “occasionally”.

Nestle, the world largest food company by revenues, has also been simplifying its recipes for frozen meals and redesigning its packaging to include more transparent labelling in the US.

McDonald's has experimented with different formats and foods, including selling salads and other healthier items, since Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s chief executive, took the helm in an effort to turn around its fortunes after two years of decline.

The never ending stream of new products has recently started to pay off.

Shares rose on Friday last week after McDonald's reported that sales at restaurants open for at least 13 months had risen 5.4 per cent in the first quarter of the year, boosted by the launch of the all day breakfast.