Why the world still loves the Big Mac

For almost half a century, the world’s most popular burger has remained all but unchanged by the swirls and eddies of the US fast-food business. Even as it was assigned the blame for America’s expanding waistlines and became a byword for US cultural imperialism, the signature McDonald’s sandwich, first made in 1967, has continued to sell in the hundreds of millions. Today, McDonald’s purports to serve some 68 million customers per day, in 119 countries. But now, on the eve of its 50th birthday, the Big Mac is about to undergo the most fundamental alteration in its history. McDonald’s US sales fell steadily over the first half of this decade, and the company has admitted it must innovate to keep pace with consumer tastes. Its core menu is its testing ground. More