ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

McDonald?s helps consumers make healthy choices via iPhone app

McDonald?s is helping consumers make informed choices based on their individual preferences via a new iPhone app.

The app, which is available in the Canadian market, is available for free download in Apple?s App Store. McDonald?s Canada claims that this is the first of its kind in the Canadian quick-service restaurant industry.

?The app is part of our long-standing approach to nutrition and empowering customers to make menu choices,? said Louis Payette, national media relations manager for McDonald?s Canada, Toronto, Canada.
?We?re thrilled to expand this information and ultimately it makes their lives easier to know what they?re getting,? he said.

McDonald's is the leading foodservice company in the world.

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 80,000 Canadians coast to coast.

Healthy choices
The McDonald?s Canada iPhone Nutrition Calculator App is available in both English and French.

Users can drag and drop their menu choices to a virtual tray where they can see detailed nutrition information for their entire meal, as well as specific items.

Additionally, consumers can remove ingredients, such as cheese, margarine and sauces depending on their preferences.

Users can access information by meal, by menu item, or by ingredient.

The type of information includes calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and percent daily value.

Consumers can also access nutrition fact labels and access the nutrition facts label and complete list of ingredients for menu items.

McDonald's can view nutritional facts

Consumers can get detailed information via the app

Mobile outreach
The company is getting the word out about the app through its social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook.

?We?re just starting to dip our toes in the mobile app world,? Mr. Payette said. ?We also have a restaurant finder app.

?We definitely need to be in the mobile space,? he said. ?That?s how we continue to meet the needs of our customers.

?It?s definitely something that we?re going to take a deeper dive into.?