LOUISVILLE Ky. For the first time in 68 years, KFC is temporarily relocating Colonel Harland Sanders’ handwritten Original Recipe to a secret, secure location in conjunction with the launch of Original Recipe Boneless Chicken Strips, the first line extension flavored with Sanders’ secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.
“The addition of these new boneless strips to our menu will greatly complement the Colonel’s signature Original Recipe fried chicken in a form that fits consumers’ on-the-go lifestyle,” KFC president Roger Eaton said in a statement.
As part of a security-modernization project, KFC hired national corporate security expert and former New York City police detective Bo Dietl to consult on a new way to keep the recipe safe from prying eyes.
Accompanied by the Louisville Metro Police Department, Dietl rode in an armored car with the recipe inside a locked briefcase that was handcuffed to his wrist. The recipe was transported from KFC corporate headquarters to an undisclosed location while Dietl’s recommended security upgrades are evaluated.
KFC said only two of its executives know the recipe of 11 herbs and spices. A third executive knows the combination to the safe that houses the handwritten recipe. A few KFC employees know the identities of the three executives, who are not allowed to travel together on the same plane or in the same car for security reasons.
To promote the new Original Recipe Strips, consumers can submit their own secrets for safekeeping to a virtual “Secret Safe” at www.kfc.com/secretsafe.