McDonald's French Fries

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Oct, 2001  by Jule Klotter

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The food industry uses the term "natural ingredients" on labels to protect secret recipes. For some consumers, however, that euphemism can hold unpleasant surprises. Such is the case with the French fries that the fast-food chain McDonald's began selling in the US in 1990. At that time, the company began cooking the fries in 100% vegetable oil instead of beef fat. What McDonald's did not tell their new Hindu and vegetarian French fry customers was that beef flavoring is added to the fries before they are frozen. Instead of publicizing this addition, the company hid it under 'natural ingredients.'

Brij Sharma, a Hindu American who works as an engineer for Boeing, was appalled to learn of the practice from an India West newspaper article in April 2001. To Hindus, cows are sacred; it is a sin to eat them. The article incited protests and damage against McDonald's restaurants in India. In the US, Mr. Sharma and two other people filed a lawsuit in May 2001, accusing McDonald's of deliberately misleading its American customers.

With the filing of the lawsuit, McDonald's admitted that it adds beef flavoring to its US French fries but not to the fries served in India or in Fiji, where half of the population is Hindu. A test by an Indian organization confirmed the company claim. McDonald's says it might change its labeling policies, but the US French fry recipe will remain the same.

"For Hindus and Vegetarians, Surprise in McDonald's Fries" by Laurie Goodstein. The New York Times, May 20, 2001.

Editor's Comment: This story has a postscript. The investigation following this report appears to deny that any beef flavoring is added to French fries either in India or here in the US.

COPYRIGHT 2001 The Townsend Letter Group
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