VANCOUVER, Sept. 23, 2013 /CNW/ - A&W today announced that all of its burgers are now made with beef that has been raised without any added steroids or hormones and contains no added preservatives or additives. A&W is proud to be the first national burger restaurant to serve this better beef.

"At A&W, we know that a great burger starts with the best beef," said Paul Hollands, President and CEO, A&W Food Services of Canada. "More and more Canadians are looking for beef that's been raised without added hormones or steroids and we're proud to serve this better beef to burger lovers across the country. When you eat one of the burgers from the A&W Burger Family® you can be assured that not only is it going to taste fresh and delicious, but also that we have sourced the beef from select ranches that are at the leading edge of sustainable practices. Our guests have told us that making a burger with this better beef is simply the right thing to do."

Canadian consumers have demonstrated a growing interest in where their beef comes from and how it is raised. A&W engaged QRI International, an independent research firm, to explore the idea of better beef with burger lovers in multiple studies across the country.

"The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with 89% of burger eaters reporting they are impressed and interested that A&W is serving beef raised without added hormones or steroids.  They see better beef as more natural and they feel good about how the beef has been raised," said QRI researcher Andrew Spicer.

Each of the ranches in Canada, Australia and the U.S. that are part of A&W's better beef program have rigorous verification systems to track the cattle, their feed and their care to ensure the beef meets A&W's strict specifications.

"We know exactly where our beef comes from, how it's been raised and of course, how great it tastes," Hollands said. "This is something our guests care about and we're really excited to offer better beef in A&W restaurants all across Canada."

Kirstin Kotelko, a fourth generation rancher at Spring Creek in Vegreville, Alberta commented on the beef they supply to A&W: "All of our cattle are custom raised without added hormones or steroids.  They spend most of their days on the prairie and grass.  We do everything with integrity, we're proud to do what we do, and we hope Canadians enjoy the results."

A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. is the nation's second largest hamburger restaurant company with 790 locations coast-to-coast. A&W Food Services of Canada is 100 per cent Canadian owned and is one of the strongest brand names in the Canadian foodservice industry. A&W Restaurants feature famous trade-marked menu items such as The Burger Family®, Chubby Chicken®, and A&W Root Beer®. For more information, please visit awbetterbeef.ca.

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