Posted on 04/08/2008 3:00:53 AM PDT by billorites
Have you ever heard that McDonald’s vanilla shakes have plastic in them, or that their hamburgers contain worm meat?
McDonald’s has heard those stories and others, and it’s launched a new advertising and marketing campaign to dispel misconceptions and myths about its menu items and their ingredients.
“We want to get the facts out about our food quality story so that we can bust some of those myths,” said Molly Starmann, McDonald’s director of U.S. marketing.
In an age where food recalls appear more prevalent, more consumers are asking questions about what they’re eating, and more books are launching assaults on the fast-food industry, McDonald’s is inviting customers and critics to “See What We’re Made Of.”
The fast-food giant’s campaign, which doesn’t focus on the oft-criticized nutritional value of its products, has launched new television commercials and created a new food-quality Web site to spread its message. Billboard advertising will begin soon. McDonald’s also has changed its food packaging, right down to its straw wrappers, to incorporate facts about its food.
All of the advertising components direct consumers to McDonald’s new site, where the company answers apparently commonly asked questions, such as “I’ve heard McDonald’s uses leftover parts of the cow in its beef. Is this true?” McDonald’s answer: “Absolutely not. McDonald’s uses well-known cuts of meat that you might buy at the grocery store, such as chuck and round.”
One of the TV spots also focuses on what is and isn’t in McDonald’s beef products: “No preservatives, no filler, no no-nos. The only thing in our beef is beef.”
Other questions that McDonald’s answers on the site include: Is it true that your sausage has additives that make people want to eat more?; How clean is your lettuce?; Is it true that your Happy Meal milk comes in powdered form?; Is it true that your shakes contain lard?
Richard Adams, who’s been involved with McDonald’s for 44 years as a former corporate franchise employee, a 12-year franchise owner and now a San Diego-based broker for franchisees, says the chain has faced misconceptions from day one.
“It went back to the beginning of the system, when we were selling hamburgers for 15 cents, and so our competitors automatically questioned the quality of our beef,” said Adams, of Franchise Equity Group. “Some of these they pop up every year and some just seem to go on forever.”
But although he gives the campaign a thumbs-up, he doesn’t think it will stop the rumor mill. People will continue to make the assumption that McDonald’s is sacrificing quality to maintain low prices, he said.
McDonald’s sees its efforts, which will continue through next year, as being “transparent” with its customers. In the next four to six weeks, customers will be able to pose their own online questions to be answered “truthfully” by a panel of McDonald’s employees, according to Starmann.
“Our doors are open for that conversation,” she said. “That’s something we haven’t done in the past.”
But Michele Simon, an Oakland, Calif., public health lawyer and nutrition advocate believes McDonald’s is being disingenuous. If McDonald’s wants to be transparent about its menu items, it should stop fighting laws that would require them to post calorie counts and other information on their menu boards, e said.
“Who are they kidding?” said Simon, author of the 2006 book “Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back.” “Yes, maybe the beef is 100 percent beef, but that doesn’t make it good for you. I’m assuming they are selecting menu items that are the least disgusting when it comes to their ingredients.”
“Yes, maybe the beef is 100 percent beef, but that doesn’t make it good for you.”
??????????????? So basically the guy has an agenda of not liking beef?
> But Michele Simon, an Oakland, Calif., public health lawyer and nutrition advocate believes McDonald’s is being disingenuous. If McDonald’s wants to be transparent about its menu items, it should stop fighting laws that would require them to post calorie counts and other information on their menu boards, e said.
>
> “Who are they kidding?” said Simon, author of the 2006 book “Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back.” “Yes, maybe the beef is 100 percent beef, but that doesn’t make it good for you. I’m assuming they are selecting menu items that are the least disgusting when it comes to their ingredients.”
What a dork! Probably got picked on when he was a kid!
Call me low-brow, but I actually like McDonald’s food. It tastes good: it’s not gourmet, but it is consistently good. The toilets are invariably clean, the tables are regularly cleared off and wiped, there is always adequate-everything available, they never run out of ketchup, and you never get food poisoning or the greeblies or diarrhea as a result of eating there. There is plenty of variety and you can even customize your meal to suit your tastes if you really must.
Good working-class food, cheap and fast. Now, if only they would come out with McBeer, my joy would be complete and I’d eat there dam’n near every day.
The best burger and ones who seemed to be able to get it done right and to order with taste was Wendy's. Special orders don't upset them and through the workers into hysteria and panic. But for a good old fashioned sandwich made to order with great taste? Subway wins hands down.
MickeyD’s “shakes” would probably taste better if they did have plastic in them. Same for the worm meat in the burgers.
I wonder what McDonald’s is gunna do about THIS little ditty, sung by bazillions of schoolkids on schoolbuses during the 70s?
McDonald’s is your kind of place
Hamburgers in your face
French fries between your toes
Dill pickles up your nose
And don’t forget the shakes
Made from polluted lakes!
McDonald’s is your kind of place
(And it went on and on, with many different verses.)
Regards,
Everyone knows it’s not worms, it’s sawdust.
“No preservatives, no filler, no no-nos. The only thing in our beef is beef.”
Hoof is beef, so is tripe.
“Food” for thought.
I'm not sure about now but years ago , Rotten Ronnie had a killing plant that only killed discarded dairy cows. McDonald’s might use well-known cuts of meat that you might buy at the grocery store, such as chuck and round but they're cut from dairy cows .
Are they beef ? Or what they taste like. A 10 year old dairy cow .
Where I come from that isn't beef.
They were labelled "Fit for Human Consumption". I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I'm sure that they were 100% beef, though.
Compare a frozen all-beef burger you make on your own to Mcdonalds. I was surprised to see they actually have beef in them because it doesn't say it in the restaurant.
Every time I stuffed myself on Mcdonald’s burgers, I felt like I was hung-over the next day(even if didn't drink a drop).
I never felt that weird from any other food and I've eaten really bad junk in my day.
Of course, the "daily value" keeps changing depending on what industry has members on the board.
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