McDonald’s India has made a calculated partnership with ITC to include its B Natural Beverage as a part of the Happy Meal.
The new Happy Meal — a veggie or egg burger, a cup of hot corn, ITC’s B Natural beverage, and the iconic toy — is available across all McDonald’s restaurants in the West and South India.
According to ITC, the mixed fruit beverage has no added sugar or preservatives and is made from fruit pulp, puree, and the juice of six Indian fruits. It is a source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
Sanjay Singal, Chief Operating Officer – Dairy and Beverages, ITC Ltd., evaluated that B Natural has been at the forefront of reinventing the fruit beverage category with the introduction of beverages that are not made from concentrate, artificial colours, or preservatives.
Such brand partnerships (like with McDonald’s) to set new standards for the industry are indeed encouraging and exciting. “We are confident that the addition of the wholesome and nutritional B Natural mixed fruit beverage with no added sugar will make the Happy Meal more enjoyable,” he said.
Incidentally, McDonald’s some three years back launched its “Good Food Journey’ initiative, whereby it began re-engineering its existing menu. Significant alterations to its menu include things like reducing sodium content by 20 per cent in some of its products, reducing oil content in mayonnaise, making its patties 100 per cent artificial preservative free, and introducing the option of whole wheat buns, among others.