Repurposing kitchen by-product in potential first for professional football

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Auckland FC, a top professional football club in New Zealand, has brought a new addition to the sidelines thanks to an unexpected partnership with McDonald's NZ – pickle juice.

In what is believed to be a global first, leftover pickle juice from McDonald's kitchens has been bottled up and put to good use on the football pitch.

The move reflects a growing trend in elite sport, where pickle juice has been used as a remedy for muscle cramps. While often linked to salt, it's also believed to trigger a neural reflex that stops the cramp.

As part of the partnership, McDonald's New Zealand has worked alongside the club's sports and nutrition team to supply pickle juice to Auckland FC players.  

"Cramps can come on quickly and stop a player in their tracks. Pickle juice is an option for us when cramps strike, and having it readily available on the sideline just makes sense," says Bede Christey, Lead Physiotherapist at Auckland FC.

With AFC currently in A League play offs, including games that have gone into penalty and extra time Macca's pickle juice has often been used to relieve cramps suffered by the players.

Simon Kenny, Head of Communications at McDonald's New Zealand, says the idea came from watching what was already happening on the sidelines. 
 
"We kept spotting players reaching for pickle juice during games and thought, why not lean into it? At the same time, we've got plenty of pickle juice in our kitchens. This felt like a simple way to connect the two. 
 
"If our leftover pickle juice helps keep players moving, whether they're playing professionally or with their mates on the weekend, then we're all for it."

The trial also extends to community sport, with a limited number of amateur teams across New Zealand receiving supplies.

In a pickle? Reach for pickle juice. It's McDonald's... but not as you know it. 

About McDonald's New Zealand
New Zealand's first McDonald's restaurant opened in Porirua in 1976. Today there are over 170 McDonald's restaurants across New Zealand, 85 percent of which are owned and operated by local business men and women. The organisation employs over 11,000 people in restaurants nationwide and is one of New Zealand's largest employers of youth. In 2022, McDonald's spent more than $214 million with local suppliers, while New Zealand producers exported over $384 million of food to other McDonald's markets around the world. McDonald's is the primary supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand, who keep families close while their children are in hospital.

Check out McDonald's New Zealand on Facebook facebook.co.nz/mcdonaldsnz, Instagram http://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldsnz/ or Snapchat mcdonalds_nz

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SOURCE McDonald's NZ