Why is McDonald’s India adding ‘protein slice’ to its burgers

Explaining the rationale behind the launch, Akshay Jatia, Executive Director, Westlife Foodworld, which operates 444 McDonald’s outlets across West and South India, said that the innovation wasn’t driven by a single data point but stemmed from a broader aim “to make our food wholesome and nutritious and make McDonald’s a part of our customers’ everyday occasions.”

He added, “The first step in this journey was the introduction of the multi-millet bun last year, also developed in partnership with CFTRI. It was about bringing grains that people value into our menu. The protein slice is the next step, and is adding an important macronutrient, which is also central to the public discourse on health, to our burgers.”

The nutritional upgrade varies depending on the burger. When paired with the new protein slice, the McSpicy Paneer delivers 25.29g of protein, the McChicken 20.66g, the McVeggie 15.24g, and the iconic McAloo Tikki clocks in at 13.5g. The slice is plant-based, made from soy, pea, and whey protein, and doesn’t contain preservatives, artificial colours, onion, or garlic. Diners are free to add more than one slice, said McDonald’s.

Developed over nearly a year in collaboration with the Mysuru-based CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, the slice is part of a larger push to address India’s protein gap.

“Nearly 70 per cent of Indian adults are protein-deficient,” said Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director of CSIR-CFTRI, at the launch. “Our children, too, are lacking in protein. If you compare them to their Western counterparts, you’ll notice differences in height, and that comes down to the quality of protein.”

Elaborating on the challenges of creating a protein-dense slice that mimics cheese, Singh said, “Each protein behaves differently, so getting the right texture, taste, shelf life, and sliceability was a huge challenge. We also had to address protein’s tendency to absorb water so ensuring the right moisture content was critical for palatability.”

Although the slice on its own doesn’t have a strong flavour, when paired with burgers, even something as simple as the McAloo Tikki, it blends in seamlessly, making the added protein nearly unnoticeable to taste.