FOR the first time, McDonald's will open its kitchens to the public, in a bid to foster greater transparency in its practices.

Every Sunday from July 5 to 26, the fast food chain's new Open Doors initiative will provide kitchen tours across 20 outlets islandwide as part of a wider global effort.

'This is an ongoing effort to be transparent about our food and to let the public know the truth about our food,' said Alex Yeo, Managing Director of McDonald's Singapore.

For example, frozen food is stored at a strict temperature range of -18 to -23 degrees Celsius, Mr Yeo explained during a media tour of McDonald's King Albert Park outlet, which houses one of its biggest kitchens.

As for worries about the H1N1 virus, McDonald's has taken precautions to re-enforce its staff's food safety practices, like hourly hand-washing, for example.

Locals have already been signing up for the kitchen tours from McDonald's website. In fact, 90 per cent of the 2,500 places for tours of its kitchens have already been snapped up.