Healthy fast food doesn’t sell, says KFC exec

16 Sep 2019 --- Fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has given up on offering healthy fast food options across its UK locations, as “no one is buying them,” according to a KFC senior executive. In an effort to boost healthier eating habits, the fast food chain launched non-fried alternatives in the past that were commercially unsuccessful. Instead, the company is now adopting a “health by stealth” approach, by reducing the calories, fat content and salt levels in its existing products. The move follows a global push toward healthier food options for the public. For example, Public Health England (PHE)’s proposal to reduce the maximum calories of ready meals to 544 per serving, as well as a Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) report that calls for a ban on junk food outlets in close proximity to schools.

The UK is KFC’s fifth-largest global market with approximately 900 franchises across the country. As the UK is trying to reduce the adverse health outcomes of junk food, such as obesity, policy and industry have both made moves for more nutritious food options to be available.

With this in mind and in a bid to promote healthier fast food choices, KFC launched the “Brazer grilled chicken sandwich” in 2011, the “Rancher sandwich” in 2012, and a “pulled chicken” offering in 2015, all marketed with lower calorie counts. Reportedly, the company spent £8 million (US$9.9 million) on installing ovens in its outlets so it could start selling the baked and grilled meals. All of these releases, however, were scrapped, owing to poor sales. 

“It didn't go brilliantly well. We tried and we failed to launch a non-fried product. They were just not selling. It's no good launching a product that looks good nutritionally but then nobody buys,” says Jenny Packwood, KFC UK and Ireland’s Head of Brand Engagement. Packwood made the statements during PHE’s 2019 Annual Conference, at Warwick University, last week.

Despite some unsuccessful rollouts, KFC is not giving up on its “healthier fast food” goals.Despite the unsuccessful rollouts, KFC is not giving up on its “healthier fast food” goals. The company has assumed an alternate approach “to lure consumers towards healthier choices.” Via the “health by stealth” technique, the fast food chain will very slowly lower fat, calorie and salt levels over time. Nonetheless, Packwood also noted that KFC UK once altered its chips to be thicker, so they absorbed less oil, which cut calories by 18 percent and fat by 12 percent, but that the move received “a lot of grief.”

Overhauling the fast food sector’s offerings?
In light of rising obesity and diabetes rates, the UK government has made a number of moves via its health and nutrition bodies. Both sugar and calorie reduction are well underway nationwide and across the industry with the UK government having set specific targets. At the same time, junk food advertisements and promotions are now regarded with more gravity, especially if they are aimed at children. 

In this space, a new report from the RSPH has outlined a raft of measures aimed at overhauling the after-school street environment for UK children. The report found that despite efforts to support kids’ healthy eating in school and at home, the world they experience between the school gates and the front door can still have a disproportionate effect on diet and lifestyle. To tackle this, the RSPH suggests that fast food outlets should be banned from operating within a five-minute walking radius from schools. In addition, the report suggests putting a stop to fast food discounts aimed at school children, as well as delivery services that deliver to schools. 

Last year, the UK government announced measures aimed at halving childhood obesity rates by 2030, including efforts to prevent stores from displaying unhealthy food at checkouts and to ban the sale of caffeine-laden energy drinks to children. Moreover, in February, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, implemented a ban on junk food advertisements across London’s public transportation network, Transport for London (TfL). The move received mixed reactions with health organizations supporting it and the advertising community deeming it ineffective and potentially harmful to commuters.

This summer, at the time of Johnson taking office, a Green Paper was published that detailed health and prevention strategies and laid out several planned government initiatives. These included banning the sale of energy drinks to under-16-year-olds, which came into force amid wide-spread industry support.

By Kristiana Lalou