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What measures are in place to ensure the quality of McDonald’s
products?
Quality, Service, Cleanliness & Value, (QSC&V), are
four elements that summarize our pledge to all our customers.
This means that we will consistently deliver hot, fresh quality
food, served in a clean and friendly environment at affordable
prices. Our commitment to QSC&V represents the quality
of our products, employees, suppliers, systems and processes
throughout the supply chain.
Systems and processes are only part of the quality equation,
and dedicated people are key. Around the world, McDonald’s
knows how its products are handled and prepared. This is so
important because processing, transportation, preparation
and freshness all contribute to the quality of the end product.
McDonald’s employees are trained to prepare and present
meals according to very specific procedures that are strictly
enforced. For example, a ten-minute ‘holding time’
for sandwiches ensures maximum quality and freshness to each
customer. This means that if the products are not sold within
ten minutes from the time of their preparation, they are discarded.
We even design our restaurants to meet the ultimate in hygiene
specifications, including hand-washing procedures. In addition,
our staff are also trained to maintain the right procedures,
food quality and safety, especially in the preparation and
handling of raw and cooked products.
- How does McDonald’s ensure the quality of
its ingredients?
At McDonald’s, only the best is good enough! The quality
of our ingredients is where our commitment to quality begins.
Quality is defined on the basis of customer, processing and
preparation requirements. However, the customer ultimately
decides on the success of our products.
McDonald’s has a very stringent list of specifications
with which all basic ingredients must comply. All our major
ingredients are produced to McDonald’s specifications;
they are tailor-made for our needs. These specifications define
the end product in terms of taste, colour, shape and texture,
as well as requirements for the raw materials.
Moreover, McDonald’s helps its suppliers identify the
best way to process raw materials to create the end product,
without weakening quality characteristics of the product.
Both farmers and producers are asked to follow good agricultural
and manufacturing practices. Due to these requirements, the
types of raw materials eligible to become McDonald’s
end products are sometimes limited. Not just any raw material
will do. It has to comply with all our strict requirements.
- How does McDonald’s ensure the quality of
its suppliers?
McDonald’s insists on knowing the nature and exact origin
of its supplies. McDonald’s always works with a list
of preferred, independent suppliers who are carefully selected
on the basis of their quality management capability, safety,
hygiene, quality controls and processing, as well as on their
reputation in the industry.
Our preference is to build long-term partnerships with our
suppliers, as we believe that this is the best way to continually
provide consistent quality. McDonald’s reviews its suppliers’
performance on a regular basis.
McDonald’s works only with suppliers who agree to its
requirements for traceability and who can clearly identify
the origins of the supplies delivered to each restaurant.
Many of our suppliers are well-known international and local
brands including Coca-Cola, Nestle, McCain and Mars.
- What about the quality of your suppliers’
products? How is that ensured?
Over the years, McDonald's has been a leader in setting and
strictly enforcing high-quality and safety standards - often
exceeding those established by industry and governments. Quite
simply, quality and safety are the most important items on
our menu, so our customers can have confidence in McDonald's.
We are aligned with world-class suppliers that share our high
standards, and our restaurant staff are equipped to deliver
on them every day.
- How does McDonald’s ensure the quality of
its procedures?
Quality is designed into our products by using the right raw
materials and their optimal way of preparation. In addition,
throughout the food supply chain all ingredients are checked
at regular intervals to ensure that the quality and safety
of all base ingredients is maintained up to, and including,
customer purchase. McDonald’s imposes these control
procedures on all its suppliers, transporters and on its own
staff in every restaurant.
These controls include product specifications such as physical
characteristics of the product, transport and storage requirements,
microbiological and chemical analyses, and strict rules for
all food preparation.
- What about the quality of your vegetable oil? Doesn’t
it contain beef extracts?
In the Gulf region, McDonald's uses 100% vegetable oil for
all its fried products. McDonald's does not add any flavourings
to its French fries; just a little salt before serving.
McDonald’s is committed to offering a wide choice of
menu items to satisfy its customer's demands and - while not
a vegetarian restaurant - our vegetable burgers and French
fries are suitable for vegetarians.
- Do you have third party assessment on the quality
of your products?
McDonald's Quality Assurance Board, along with the Global
Safety and Security Department, provides strategic global
leadership for all aspects of food quality and safety. Further,
our quality assurance and supply chain; and safety specialists
around the world, work with McDonald's suppliers to ensure
compliance with our standards. We operate quality assurance
labs around the world, where ongoing product reviews and enhancements
take place. In addition, we work closely with our suppliers
to encourage innovation, assure best practices and drive continuous
improvement.
Quality
Control
McDonald's pledge to its
customers
- Quality, Service & Cleanliness
(QSC) is our Pledge: QSC represents McDonald's 100% commitment,
that of its employees & suppliers to deliver the best
& safest quality to its 47 million customers visiting
over 30,000 stores in 121 countries around the world. We
will consistently deliver hot, safe & fresh quality
food served in a clean and friendly environment.
- Good Listeners to the Customer:
McDonald's thrives on customers’ feedback to continuously
improve quality & service.
- Quality at the Source: We share
this philosophy with our suppliers with whom we have long
term relationships, some of which reach to over 40 years
encouraging an ever- higher industry standards.
- Continuous Training: We offer training
to McDonald's staff as well as suppliers' staff.
- Stay in Touch With Scientific Development:
We maintain close ties with the members of the scientific
community on food safety & quality to stay abreast of
new developments.
How can we achieve these Commitments?
McDonald's Quality Assurance
The Infrastructure: Purchasing / Distribution infrastructure
- Suppliers
/ partners & exclusive suppliers
- Strive for continuity
- Strive for quality
- Exclusive
distribution center
Quality & Safety
Assurance: McDonald's Specifications & Standards
- Products specifications
- Producing facilities Standards
Product Compliance to Official Standards
and Religious Requirements
- Analysis of products at the supplier's
sites
Analysis of products
in government labs:
- Microbiological tests
- Chemical tests
- Taste tests
Analysis of products
in McDonald's Int'l labs:
- Taste/flavor compliance
- Target program
- Similarity of McDonald's taste around
the world
Daily Analysis in McDonald's
Restaurants.
* Plants Compliance to Official
Standards & Religious Requirements
- Compliance to official standards
- Compliance to religious requirements
- Compliance to the official standards
of the exporting country
Compliance to McDonald's Standards:
McDonald's Food Safety Requirements
- HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Points): A food safety system
invented by NASA & endorsed by the FAO.
- GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices): such as employees hygiene
and pest control.
- GAP (Good Agricultural Practices): such as control of water
pollution & prudent use of pesticides.
- Traceability: a system capable of identifying the source
of a hamburger in the store, trace it back to original cow
in the farm.
Verification of the Supply
Chain Compliance to McDonald's Standards
- Multiple announced and un-announced visits from McDonald's
Dubai corporate office and the McDonald's office in the exporting
country.
- Multiple announced and un-announced visits by specialists
from McDonald's Int'l Labs: Specialists in food safety Specialists
in food production systems for the various products (meat,
chicken, fries,..)
Verification of the HACCP & Traceability systems by 3rd
party auditors (independent and legally recognized entities)
via announced & un-announced audit. This is repeated on
yearly basis.
Approved Suppliers Database
An approved supplier is a supplier who's been through the
verification process as outlined, is assigned a specific number
and is listed in McDonald's Data base of approved suppliers.
Examples of GCC approved suppliers
- Kuwaiti Danish Dairy
- Al Rashed Bakery , Kuwaiti Flour Mills & Bakeries
- United Food Industries
- Al Khat printing press
- National Paper Products Co (Napco) |
