McDonald's Canada Will Return to Sourcing 100 Per Cent Canadian Beef in September

Organization also extending its Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Certified Sustainable sourcing to include Quarter Pounders

TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2020 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada will return to sourcing 100 per cent Canadian beef in September 2020, ending the temporary sourcing adjustments announced in late April due to industry constraints. Since that time, McDonald's Canada has been sourcing as much Canadian beef as possible, maintaining over 80 per cent of supply from Canadian sources on average and supplementing with imported beef from pre-approved McDonald's suppliers.

McDonald's Canada is also continuing its beef sustainability journey by offering Quarter Pounder® patties, from which a portion of the beef (minimum 30 per cent), will be sourced from CRSB certified sustainable Canadian farms and ranches by September 2020.

McDonald's Canada has used 100 per cent Canadian beef since 2003. The company has also been a long-time proponent and advocate of sustainable practices in the Canadian beef industry. The organization and its franchisees will continue to advocate for progress on sustainability, which contributes to the humane treatment of animals, and delivers positive outcomes for farmers, ranchers, communities and the planet. 

McDonald's Canada remains one of the largest purchasers of Canadian beef and a proud supporter of the Canadian beef industry. At the height of the pandemic, the organization made a $100,000 contribution to the Canadian Cattlemen's Foundation to support educational efforts and the development of future leaders through the Cattlemen's Young Leaders program.

"For nearly two decades, we've maintained a strong commitment to sourcing Canadian beef – we are incredibly proud of the role we've played in supporting local ranchers and farmers," said Nicole Zeni, Senior Manager, Supply Chain, McDonald's Canada. "In these challenging times, our ability to return to sourcing 100 per cent of our beef from Canadian sources is a true testament to the resiliency of the industry."

As a founding member of the CRSB, established in 2014, McDonald's Canada was a driving force in developing Canadian standards for beef sustainability. The CRSB consists of a diverse group of stakeholders representing academia, government, food and agricultural businesses, producer associations, processors, retail and foodservice, as well as NGOs like Ducks Unlimited Canada, World Wildlife Fund and Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"The stabilized supply of Canadian beef is important in allowing us to continue to progress our sustainability efforts," said Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, Sustainability and Agriculture Lead, McDonald's Canada. "Offering Quarter Pounder patties made with beef from CRSB-certified farms and ranches is another meaningful step forward on our journey to delivering socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound food to our guests."

FACTS:                                                                                         

• McDonald's Canada sources 100 per cent of the beef for its hamburger patties from Canadian ranches and farms, primarily in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• McDonald's beef patties contain no artificial additives, flavours and preservatives and are 100 per cent produced in Canada.
• In September 2020, a portion of the beef (minimum 30 per cent) used in our Quarter Pounder patties will be sourced from CRSB Certified Sustainable farms and ranches.
• McDonald's use of the CRSB certification mark for beef sustainability is designated based on an internationally recognized system, where a minimum of 30 per cent of the supply chain's beef originates from CRSB certified farms and ranches, and is tracked at every point in the certified supply chain.
• In 2018, McDonald's Canada became the first organization to begin using the CRSB certification mark on its Angus packaging and, in addition, the global McDonald's organization announced a new global beef antibiotic policy.
• During the temporary period of importing beef in 2020, McDonald's Canada sourced beef from USA, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland to supplement the Canadian beef supply.

About McDonald's Canada
In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 100,000 people from coast-to-coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada visit McDonalds.ca.

SOURCE McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

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