Quick-service chains will be attempting to reinvent a fresher image for the New Year by dropping their reputation of serving ‘junk food.’ The masses have spoken, expressing an aversion to overly processed and reheated foods. Chains such as Taco Bell and McDonald’s will be rethinking their choice of ingredients by removing the amount of artificial preservatives in their foods. Greg Creed, CEO of Yum Brands (owners of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut) realizes that, “This demand for fresh and real is on the rise.”

Creed stated at an investor and analyst presentation last month that the company should begin to use less preservatives and be more transparent about their use of ingredients. The objective to re-market fast-food into anything other than will be challenging as it has forever been perceived as fattening, cheap and unhealthy. Packaged food and beverage companies have already begun to reformulate their products by removing chemical ingredients. The transformation from junk food to ‘real,’ ‘fresh’ or ‘healthy’ food will be a tricky one. To read a few examples of QSR chains that are making moves towards this challenging recasting of their brands, click here.