World Dairy Diary

UK McDonald’s Switches to Organic Milk

McDonald’s restaurants in the UK have announced a switch to organic milk for its coffee and hot chocolate drinks. The move could account for 5% of the UK’s organic milk supplies.

In a bid to tap into growing consumer interest in the provenance of food, the fast-food chain recently switched its supply of coffee beans to stocks certified by conservation group the Rainforest Alliance. The move added 10% to McDonalds coffee sales.

UK chief executive Steve Easterbrook said: “British consumers are increasingly interested in the quality, sourcing and ethics of the food and drink they buy. This has led to growth in the supply of British-produced organic milk, which has enabled us to make this move for our customers.”

McDonald’s will also be switching its mini pots of milk for tea to organic semi-skimmed milk.

Daryl Caswell of Arla Foods, which supplies all McDonalds’ mainland milk demand, said: “The organic market for milk has been increasing significantly year on year. It is good to see McDonalds is leading the quick-service sector in converting to organic.”

McDonalds also said it hoped the move would increase consumer demand for organic milk and help the sector to grow.