MARKING tomorrow’s National Agriculture Day activities, global burger giant McDonald’s has released its annual ‘shopping list’ for food commodities used to keep its 970 Australian stores in operation.

Topping the list is a beef requirement for 31,900 tonnes of Aussie beef each year, in the form of patties. The Australian beef industry also supplies thousands of other McDonald’s stores across North, South and Central Asia, and other parts of the world, in addition to this figure.

In 2019, McDonald’s injected more than $1 billion into the Australian agriculture industry, purchasing 359 million kilograms of locally-sourced, quality ingredients for its Australian restaurants, the company said.

The National Farmer’s Federation’s annual Ag Day celebration showcases the contribution Australian farmers and producers make to the economy.

McDonald’s Australia and New Zealand director of supply chain and sustainability, Kylie Freeland, said the company was proud to be buying Australian, serving local ingredients and supporting the country’s agriculture industry every day of the year.

“We have been working with the Australian agriculture industry for nearly 50 years and are committed to supporting the local farmers and producers who work tirelessly to produce top quality, home-grown ingredients that we know our customers love,” she said.

The McDonald’s Australia 2019 shopping list includes:

• 9 million kilograms (31,900t) of beef
• 7 million kg of chicken
• 9 million litres of fresh milk
• 9 million kg of wheat flour
• 1 million kg of lettuce
• 8 million kg of fresh tomatoes
• 7 million kg of cheese
• 128 million kg of potatoes
• 85.4 million eggs*
• 7 million kg of cucumbers
• 7 million kg of red and brown onions

Country of Origin labelling

In a statement, Federal Agriculture minister David Littleproud said Macca’s had been on the front foot with its Country of Origin Labelling, so customers could see the Australian content of their products from Big Macs to Apple Pies.

“When Australian beef, eggs, vegetables and milk go into making Macca’s products it means money goes into the pockets of our farmers,” the minister said.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson said despite coming out of one of the worst droughts on record, followed by bushfires and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Australian farmers had shown resilience and strength while continuing to provide food for our community.

“McDonald’s is a major supporter of Aussie farmers and suppliers, and by choosing to buy local wherever possible, they are helping to maintain the livelihoods of farmers, keep their businesses operating and create important jobs in many regional communities, she said.

* Beef Central asked McDonald’s to fact-check the statistic provided for eggs. The original statement said 85.4 million kilograms of eggs, which the company now concedes was incorrect.

Source: McDonald’s, NFF