El Pollo Loco calls out KFC ingredientsEl Pollo Loco calls out KFC ingredients

Lisa Jennings

COSTA MESA Calif. Calling it “round three” in the ongoing chicken wars, El Pollo Loco this week is airing commercials in select markets pointing out an “unexpected ingredient” in rival KFC’s new grilled chicken: beef powder and rendered beef fat.

The 15-second spots feature El Pollo Loco president and chief executive Steve Carley standing in a pasture with cows, explaining the beef ingredients used in KFC’s chicken marinade. A cow responds with a plaintive “moo.”

The commercial can also be viewed online at http://beefychicken.com.

In a statement, Carley said, “The use of beef ingredients in grilled chicken just seems wrong to me, and we believe most consumers would agree. I can assure you that you won’t find any beef in El Pollo Loco’s fresh, natural, citrus-marinated chicken cooked over an open flame right in front of our guests.”

Rick Maynard, a spokesman for KFC, told the Los Angeles Times that the company’s disclosure of the ingredients on its website is “more than adequate.”

The beef flavors account for only 0.2 percent of all the seasonings, he told the Times, adding, “Small amounts of beef flavors are commonly used in seasonings for many food products, for both restaurant and retail use.”

The 418-unit Costa Mesa, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco has been taking jabs at KFC, a subsidiary of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands Inc. with 5,200 U.S. locations since the larger chain launched its new grilled chicken in April.

Round one of the chicken wars began when KFC debuted the product with a free giveaway on April 27. El Pollo Loco the next day also offered free samples and asked guests to call a toll-free number to vote for their favorite grilled chicken. El Pollo Loco also challenged KFC to a taste test.

In round two, El Pollo Loco launched viral videos playing calls that came in to the taste-test hotline from “anonymous” KFC fans who claimed to be from Southern California. Caller I.D., however, showed the calls were dialed from Yum’s headquarters in Louisville.

Throughout the chicken wars, El Pollo Loco has proclaimed its product’s more authentic grilled flavor because the chicken is cooked over a flame grill. KFC’s chicken is cooked on a grill rack in an oven.

El Pollo Loco stores outside California, however, are moving to a system in which the chicken is pre-cooked in a convection oven before being finished on the grill.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].