MELBOURNE, May 27 (Bernama) -- Fast food giant McDonald's Australia has abandoned the testing of four dinner meals, including Beef Rendang, and is unlikely to relaunch the products until next year.

The meals -- Beef Rendang, Lemongrass Chicken, Beef Bolognese and Ginger Chicken -- were a key part of the McDonald's plan to rev up its dinner sales, which have been flat for several years, and peg back the growth of takeaway food rivals.

McDonald's Australia chief executive Peter Bush told The Australian Financial Review that sales of the A$9 meals were close to budget and the feedback from consumers about the quality of the products was not good.

But the test stores ran into problems making the meals and sales to drive-through customers was weak.

Bush said the meals might reappear some time in 2008.
 

"Providing anything beyond burgers and fries creates challenges for us in an operational sense and in a marketing sense, in terms of what people expect from McDonald's," he added.-- BERNAMA