McDonald's fries are more evil than ever

Three people are suing McDonald's after eating their wheat/dairy infested fries. McDonald's quietly admitted last week that the flavouring for their famous fries contains wheat and dairy ingredients, though they had previously claimed the fries were safe for people who suffered wheat/dairy allergies. Two of the litigants are suing because of an allergy to gluten (stretchy protein found in wheat) and the third is a committed vegan. McDonald's said that though the oil-flavourings contain milk and wheat derivatives, there are no protein components, hence no actual allergens (most people are allergic to the proteins in milk, nuts, grains etc). This doesn't solve it for the vegan, but let's be honest, I would kind of assume that my fries had gotten friendly with a burger at some point along the production chain. And they could be lying, too.

But as person who suffers from a LETHAL allergy to nuts - which are absolutely everywhere and every single food manufacturer on the fucking planet now carries a disclaimer that I eat their products at my own risk - I have a few opinions about this one.

If these people had actually asked whether the fries were gluten and dairy free or looked it up online or whatever, then they have a legitimate grievance. Did they look it up? Or only guess that fries were "safe" and then get all outraged later? And did they really get sick? If the fries turn out to be gluteny (tests are being performed as we speak) then maybe, but maybe not. They could just be smelling some easy money wafting on the grease-laden air from a fantastically sue-able big bag corp.

I really do commend people for voicing their reactions to foods - it has lead to the current allergy advice labels here in Britain and elsewhere. But seriously, lawsuits like the ones above have taken the whole deal too far. Labels are so ubiquitous as to be uninformative and ignorable. Is there really really a chance of me eating a peanut? Have you ever actually found one? Has a person complained? Do you do random samples? Or are you just protecting your butt? Which, by the way, doesn't really protect mine.

Check out this story on MSNBC, too, for a little more depth into previous McDonald's fry scandals.

Comments

[Ken]

Leaving aside the fact that if you're that worried about the content of food, you really shouldn't be eating at fast food joints, what is a 'committed vegan' doing eating in McDonald's anyway?

[anna]

I hear you Ken. I really really do. I figure people are vegetarians for a few different reasons - meat is bad for the environment, it's bad for you or its just plain wrong to eat animals. I am thinking that McDonald's fails on all these counts. So even if vegan fries seem to fit one narrow set of dietary guidelines, fries from McDonald's certainly don't fit into the wider ideological reasons for not eating meat/animal products to begin with.

[raj]

Any action causing physical or mental hurt to any living being is WRONG!

no two way about it.

[Don Wood Files]

Did you see the movie Super Size Me? Don't, if you like McD's fries. They put the fries under a glass and waited for them to get moldy. They never did! Even after at least two months, those fires looked exactly as they did when they were served. No mold! No droopiness! They were still shiney, firm, proud. This tells me they are not made of any living tissue.

[justing]

I happen to work for an insurance company that insures McD's franchisees. I deal with all the morons that file claims and law suites such as these. I hate that people in this country are so selfish and take no responsibility for their own actions, as well as their view that the world owes them something. Furthermore, I absolutely hate McDonald's food, advertising, etc. The world would be so much better off without them.

[DREW VAILLANCOURT]

Votre nuriture goute extremement bien mais vous devez peu etre l habitude de mettre trop de gras et de ne pas donner de la GE au poule.

[Danielle]

k well if they actually asked "are these items in it" then thats differenet; but its COMMON SENSE for the vegen to not even go into a mcdonalds; but whatever. people are messed!