BURGER KING REVEALS NEW HEALTHY FRENCH FRY

Published September 24, 2013 in Food Product Design 

Posted in News, Foodservice, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Nutrition,International, Fat Reduction, Fats/Oils, Low Fat, Sodium, Market Trends

MIAMI, Fla.—Burger King Worldwide, has announced its  new SATISFRIES™, that are 40% less in fat and 30% less in calories than the normal French fries. Burger King® is the first quick service restaurant to serve this reduced fat, reduced calorie French fry that has only 190 calories, 8 grams of fat and 210 milligrams of sodium for a value size serving.

 “One out of every two Burger King  guests orders our classic French fries and we know our guests are hungry for options that are better for them, but don’t want to compromise on taste," said Alex Macedo, president North America, Burger King.  “When it comes to what we eat, we know that small changes can have a big impact. We see SATISFRIES as one of the biggest fast food launches and are excited to bring this great tasting French fry to our guests."

Just like most French fry recipes, SATISFRIES are made with thinly battered whole potatoes. The difference is that the SATISFRIES recipe ensures that the French fries absorb less oil–only enough to keep each crinkle crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

To create anticipation around the launch, Burger King Corp. kicked off a #WTFF (What The French Fry) teaser campaign on Friday, September 20. Unbranded oversized French fry pods with 8 foot crinkle-cut French fries were installed in high traffic areas in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Passersby were encouraged to interact with the French fries and take pictures to post on social media using the hashtag #WTFF. Each activation also acted as a free “Wi-Fry" station. To view images, visithttp://wtff2013.tumblr.com.

The new product took two years of development with McCain Foods, which can’t sell them to any other fast-food clients. Satisfries will cost between 20 cents and 30 cents more than regular fries.

Burger King’s not the first to try a low-fat fry. Back in 1997, Ruby’s Diner served up Skinny Fries made by J.R. Simplot, which discontinued the product because the fruit pectin coating used to reduce grease absorption became too expensive, according to Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Ruby’s tried again in 2004 with another Simplot product, although nine years later the so-called FitFries also appear to have fallen off the chain’s menus. (Ruby’s and Simplot didn’t immediately respond to interview requests.)

STORY: To Add Variety and Control Cost, Fast Foods Go Small

Burger King’s new fries aren’t a replacement for the old recipe, and spokeswoman Adrianna Lauricella emphasized that the healthier option will only be served “based on guests’ response.” The menu is already crowded with a diversity of deep-fried sides, including sweet potato fries, onion rings, and in some locations mozzarella sticks. McDonald’s, on the other hand, only serves regular fries from its bubbling oil vats. For comparison’s sake, a medium order of Satisfries has 40 fewer calories and 5 fewer grams of fat than the medium-size fries at McDonald’s, but the serving size for Burger King’s medium box is also about a third larger, 157g vs. 117g.

With an oxymoron like healthy fries, everything is relative. The chart below looks at how Burger King’s deep-fried finger foods stack up against each other—and some of these foods could surely benefit from a grease-resistant coating of their own.

SATISFRIES  will be available at Burger King restaurants across the United States beginning September 24 alongside Burger King  classic French fries.

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