McDonald's in the Gulf to launch new 'Quality' awareness campaign

The new Quality campaign focuses on creating awareness about McDonald's exceptional quality and quality control protocols. "McDonald's has implemented rigorous food safety and quality standards for almost 50 years. In the GCC, and since the opening of our first stores, we have aimed at exceeding these standards in the interest of our customers. For example, with regards to beef, McDonald's only uses pure flank and forequarter beef that undergoes around 50 separate quality tests before it is served to customers. No additives or preservatives are added, and the only seasoning used is a little salt and pepper. In the GCC, we have additional tests and third party quality controls to ensure that our beef is Halal, and that it complies and exceeds local health authority requirements." Said Dr. Habib M'Nasria, Quality Assurance

Manager for McDonald's in the Middle East. Rafic Fakih, Managing Director of McDonald's in the UAE added: "McDonald's serves the same food that people normally eat at home: Meat, chicken, fish, potatoes, bread, and salads. The only difference is that our food undergoes some of the most extensive food quality controls in the world - from farm to counter. The new campaign is designed to communicate this with our customers and to reinforce their trust in our brand."

The campaign started with invitations to select schools and journalists to visit McDonald's kitchens and examine first hand the quality procedures in place at the restaurants. A television commercial supported by advertisements in the newspapers and posters inside the restaurants will be relied on to broaden the awareness among all customers. "We are very excited by this challenge," said Alsharif Abdallah, Marketing and Communications Director "We have always practiced a policy of crystal clear transparency with our customers. We are proud of the quality of the food that we serve, and want all our customers to know it. The campaign that we have in place is more than a commercial about the quality of our beef, chicken, or fries. It is a clear communication of McDonald's values of caring for its customers and providing them with the best quality, service, cleanliness and value - the qualities that made it the world's favorite family restaurant."

Mr. Abdullah concluded: "We consider our suppliers as partners in sustaining quality and supplying us with fresh products, as we expose them to a long list of conditions and details that they have to follow with their employees, premises and products in order to best service our clients."

McDonald's is the world's leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 local McDonald's restaurants serving 46 million customers each day in more than 100 countries.