Innovation and New Product Development Case Study

KFC's Non-Trans-Fat Menu: Offering a Healthier Alternative?

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Abstract:
In Cooking oils containing trans-fatty acids had been found to trigger serious health problems among US consumers in the past like obesity, hypertension etc. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was found to have filed a suit against Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in that context because the fast food retailer used a significant amount of trans-fat oil to fry its fried chicken and French fries. In response to the allegation, KFC introduced a non-trans-fat menu in October 2006 in all its US restaurants. While the move was welcomed by the CSPI, many food nutritionists were pessimistic regarding the development since such moves adopted by fast food restaurants had proved to be more of a marketing gimmick rather than a serious concern for consumer well-being. The American fast food consumption habits and the unholy nexus between fast food retailers and the legal entities were some other reasons that seemed to create hurdles so far as tackling the obesity issue was concerned.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand and analyse the fast food consumption habits among Americans.
• To understand the criticality of the obesity issue in the US and the extent of the contribution of the fast-food restaurants in this regard.
• To probe the various reasons that hindered the eradication of obesity in the US.

Keywords :  US food culture, Fast food retailers, (Kentucky Fried Chicken) KFC, Colonel Sanders, Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Obesity, Diabetes, McDonald's, Burger King, Lawsuits, Body Mass Index (BMI), 'Low-carb' food, Non-trans-fat menu, Fried chicken, French fries