McDonald’s Japan to allow children to cook burgers in its kitchens

Money-losing McDonald’s Japan said Wednesday it will try to regain customer confidence in their products by allowing children and their parents to cook burgers in its kitchens under the instruction of its staff.

From next Tuesday to June 29, children aged 3 to around 12 and their parents can participate in the “Mac Adventure” program at some 650 restaurants across Japan, wearing the McDonald’s uniform and making a health-conscious item introduced May 25 for children — a burger with a chicken patty that includes corn, carrots and soybeans.

“We hope participants in the program can enjoy it and it leads to a recovery in customer confidence in the safety and quality of our products,” said Tamae Takeda, the company’s family marketing chief.

McDonald’s is losing customers, especially women and families, after a string of food-safety scandals. McDonald’s Holdings Co. (Japan) said in April that it expects a group net loss of ¥38 billion ($305 million) for the business year through December, the second straight year it will see a loss.

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