Nutritionists describe the innovation as “bold, if unnecessary”
A major Philippine fast food chain unveiled a new menu item this week: a rice meal featuring, according to the packaging, “slightly more rice,” a change the company’s marketing team is calling “a direct response to what our customers have always wanted.”
The Innovation
“We surveyed thousands of Filipinos and the results were clear,” said brand manager Trisha Domingo. “People like rice. They like it a normal amount, but they would also, in some cases, like a bit more.”
The extra rice reportedly amounts to roughly two additional spoonfuls, a quantity the company’s research and development team spent eight months calibrating.
Customer Reaction
Early reviews have been enthusiastic, with several customers describing the additional rice as “noticeable” and “appreciated,” while one loyal patron said simply, “finally, someone gets it.”
The London Prat‘s food and dining desk has covered Britain’s own baffling food marketing trends, including a sandwich chain that once charged extra for “slightly more lettuce.”
Inquirer.net reports the chain plans to roll the item out nationwide by next quarter, pending “rice supply logistics.”
Domingo says further innovations are in the pipeline, including a rice meal with “a normal amount of rice, but served with more confidence.”
Industry Response
Competitors are reportedly scrambling to match the offering, with one rival chain already testing a rice meal advertised, mysteriously, as containing “an ambitious amount” of rice.
Domingo says the company is also exploring a limited-edition “extra ambitious” tier for the holidays, though she declined to specify how many spoonfuls that would ultimately involve.
Nutritionists, for their part, say the extra rice is unlikely to hurt anyone, though one dietitian noted dryly that “slightly more rice” has technically been the unofficial national policy for generations already.
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SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
