McDonald's to pare U.S. menus, ingredient lists

Dec 10 (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp said on Wednesday it plans to cut the number of items on its U.S. menus and use fewer ingredients in food as it moves to speed up service, bolster sales and offer consumers personalized options to compete better with Subway and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Mike Andres, the company's U.S. president, said starting in January menus will have eight fewer food items and five fewer Extra Value Meals.

The world's biggest fast-food chain, which has not had a monthly gain in sales at established U.S. restaurants since October 2013, is also making the changes to reach out to consumers who are demanding simpler, more natural food choices.

The company is testing its slimmed-down menus in six markets, including Bakersfield, California, and Knoxville, Tennessee, a spokeswoman said.