On Tuesday, two customers in the US filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the firm over the incident. Other consumers have also taken legal action.
“While we anticipated a challenging environment in 2024, our performance so far this year has fallen short of expectations,” Mr Kempczinski said while discussing the firm’s latest update for investors.
In the three months to September, sales at stores open at least a year fell 1.5% compared with the same time last year, McDonald’s said on Tuesday.
Its international markets were hit particularly hard, especially the UK, France, China and the Middle East.
It marked the second consecutive quarter of falling sales and the biggest in four years, after a decline of 1% in the three months prior.
Mr Kempczinski said the firm was focused on offering “value and affordability” as customers continue “to be mindful about their spending”.
