McDonald's New Zealand removes KiwiBurger from menu due to special ingredients that make it unprofitable

McDonald’s New Zealand has discontinued its KiwiBurger once again due to ingredients that were not used on any other products, such as beetroot, that make it unprofitable.

It also consists of a beef patty, a fried egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onions, mustard, and tomato sauce on a bun.

The KiwiBurger, the only local burger from McDonald’s New Zealand, has been around since 1976.

The KiwiBurger was the idea of McDonald’s New Zealand franchisee Bryan Old as a nostalgic take on the typical New Zealand hamburger before the introduction of McDonald's in the country.

Initially only available at Old's five Hamilton restaurants, it was added to the national menu in 1991.

Soon, the popularity of the burger made the beloved KiwiBurger jingle a household song.

But this is not the first time the burger has gone off the menu.

In 2004, it was discontinued before being reintroduced in May 2007.

It was off the menu again a year-and-a-half later, only to be reintroduced for a limited time in June 2009.

In August 2011, it was again included as part of McDonald's new Kiwi Menu ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Last year, McDonald's New Zealand came up with a brand new KiwiBurger song, featuring Anika Moa and Troy Kingi, but that didn’t stop the fast-food chain from removing it from its products offerings.

Lauren McAuslin, 36, New Zealand’s youngest McDonald’s franchisee, expects the burger to return eventually due to some very loyal KiwiBurger customers.