McDonald’s UAE boss defends advertising of high-calorie meals

Rafic Fakih, the managing director of McDonald's UAE says individuals need to be responsible for what they eat.

Yousef Abdulghani, vice president of McDonald’s Middle East development, says that the food company will answer any question customers would like to ask on its website. Sarah Dea / The National

DUBAI // Fast-food restaurants are simply feeding the public appetite, according to a McDonald’s chief who defended the burger chain’s advertising of high-calorie meals in the UAE.

The managing director of McDonald’s UAE, which is expanding across the country, said it was important for people to make healthy choices for themselves.

“Our advertising informs people, it does not force them to make choices,” said Rafic Fakih, who is based in Sharjah.

“These adverts were once used to advertise this promotion for the Big Mac. It was just one part of the activation to show the product exists.

“It is for people to decide. Without advertising, how will they know what you have?

“A car can cause an accident but you would not want to stop advertising for cars.”

McDonald’s has 129 restaurants in the UAE, with half of them in Dubai generating 60 per cent of the company’s sales.

More restaurants and advertising are to follow, but Mr Fakih defended the company, saying it had led the way in providing nutritional information online.

Salt levels in fries had been reduced, he said, and Happy Meals now come with a fruit option and juice or water, rather than fizzy drinks.

An open-door programme launched in 2006, which invited the public into its kitchens, gave customers an “all access pass” to find out what went on behind the scenes.

Mr Fakih was confident McDonald’s advertising in the UAE was socially responsible. “Any product from our core menu will have all the nutritional information available,” he said. The only exception was “anything available for a limited time. We do not have that information as the packaging for the product is just for a short period’ he said.

“Super-size meals are aimed at adults, who sometimes order and then want a second sandwich. Customers decide if they want to eat, we just offer that choice. It is about human behaviour and lifestyle. We do not force people to buy a Big Mac.”

A standard Big Mac contains 3.7 grams of sugar, 12g of total fat, or 18 per cent of a recommended daily amount for an adult, and 454 milligrams of salt, 18 per cent of the daily recommended levels.

A meal with fries and Coke contains 1,120 calories. To maintain a healthy weight, men are advised to consume 2,640 calories a day, and women 1,785.

The World Health Organisation said there were 2.1 billion overweight or obese people globally, which was about 30 per cent of the population.

Researchers at the McKinsey Global Institute predicted almost half the world’s population would be overweight or obese by 2030. And a report by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation claimed more than 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in the UAE were already overweight or obese.

Despite the figures, McDonald’s UAE insisted business decisions were balanced with healthier options and responsible advertising.

At an event in Dubai launching a website offering public transparency into McDonald’s operations, the firm’s chiefs answered questions about the quality of the company’s food.

The Your Right to Know interactive platform will open up questions from the public and answers will be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Yousef Abdulghani, vice president of McDonald’s Middle East development, said: “Consumers are demanding more information and transparency to allow them to make informed decisions. If you think that McDonald’s food does not rot, the meat is not Halal or that we wash our lettuce in washing machines or that whole chicken goes into our McNuggets, we will answer those questions with open and factual responses.”

Magalie Paillard, a nutritionist in Dubai, would like to see fast food taxed to encourage moderation. “As far as fast food is concerned, worrying factors are transfats, which have been found to damage the organs and health,” she said.

“Regular consumption has been shown to increase heart disease, diabetes and many chronic diseases. It also damages skin and increases digestion problems from bloating, constipation. I also believe in 80 per cent good nutrition and 20 per cent relaxed treat, but possibly once a month for kids.”

To learn more about Your Right to Know or to submit a question, visit the McDonald's website.