MONTREAL (Reuters) – In a bid to help a struggling beef industry, McDonald’s Canada says it will give away 1.4 million pounds of hamburgers by offering a two-for-one sale on Aug. 22.
The Canadian subsidiary of McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant chain, said the burgers to be given away were worth $7.5 million.
“It may bring more people to our restaurants but this is not what this is all about,” said Ron Christianson, a spokesperson for McDonald’s Canada.
“It stems from the fact we see the beef industry in turmoil. We want to do our part,” he said, adding the Canadian beef industry did not lobby the company for this promotion.
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The industry was hit hard after a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was discovered on an Alberta farm in May and dozens of countries, including Japan and the United States, slapped bans on Canadian beef exports.
McDonald’s said customers who buy a hamburger at any of its 1,300 Canadian outlets on Aug. 22 will receive a coupon for a free burger. The coupon must be used before Sept. 30.
100 percent support
The promotion follows the company’s recent decision to buy 100 percent of its beef from Canada, to counter the effect of the BSE crisis.
Before its July 25 announcement, the fast food company bought between 70 and 80 percent of its beef from Canada, with the rest coming from the U.S.
McDonald’s Canada said the move was temporary, but added it did not plan to move back to earlier levels while the BSE crisis continued.
Christianson said the firm believed in the safety of Canadian beef and said the crisis had been well handled by Canadian authorities.
“Our sales have not been affected,” he said.
