McDonald’s Korea has no plans to use U.S. beef

Ray Frawley

McDonald’s, an icon of American culture, only uses Australian beef for its hamburger patties in Korea and has no plans to use meat from the United States, Ray Frawley, managing director of McDonald’s Korea, told the JoongAng Daily.
The ban on the import of U.S. beef due to a few cases of mad cow disease in the United States was one of the biggest reasons McDonald’s began using Australian beef in the Korean market, but the company head has no intention to switch to U.S. meat. He said Australian beef is considered some of the cleanest in the world, and McDonald’s Korea has been satisfied with it.
For other ingredients, however, the company places no limits on the country of origin. Its potatoes are from the United States, while its chicken and pork could be from other countries.
The recently launched McMorning products, however, are made from ingredients procured mostly in Korea. “For instance, the cheese is from Maeil Dairies, the bacon from CJ Foods, and the eggs from Ganong,” explained the managing director.
Mr. Frawley said the basic idea behind the McMorning Menu was to help busy Koreans who, according to government research, tend to skip breakfast, have access to a “quick, handheld alternative in the morning,” and thus enjoy a healthier life. That is why the company purchases most of the ingredients used for its McMorning Menu from Korean domestic producers.
The company doesn’t have any plans to launch McCafe, a Starbucks-influenced McDonald’s franchise, in Korea this year, but chances are high that it will be introduced in the near future, Mr. Frawley said. The first McCafe opened in Australia in 1993, and today there are more than 500 stores throughout Europe, Asia, South America and other regions.
The company is also “re-imaging” its stores in a struggle against rising criticism of fast food as a threat to health and as a cause of the American obesity epidemic.
To date, about 40 stores in Korea have been “re-imaged,” or upgraded to attract higher-level customers.
Separately, the School Reentry and Adaptation Program for pediatric cancer survivors was launched by Severance Children’s Hospital and McDonald’s Korea yesterday.
The goal of the program is to help children with cancer or other chronic disease return to school and life after long recovery in the hospital.
The program provides educational content for childhood cancer survivors, teachers, parents and fellow students.

By Hwang Young-jin Staff Writer [yhwang@joongang.co.kr]