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In 2012, the fast food chain, McDonald’s entered a so-called “Age of Transparency.”
No longer would it hide grotesque secrets about its food, forcing the chain to turn
to healthier alternatives a fast food joint could be proud of ... eh, yeah … Despite
their efforts, however, we’re still able to drudge up these ten facts that they probably
don’t want you to know!
10.
Not the Largest Fast Food Chain For as long as many of us can probably remember,
McDonald’s has been the largest “go-to” restaurant in the world, but it’s not a
title it holds any longer.
It may advertise itself as the largest hamburger fast food chain restaurant, but in 2010, Subway
surpassed McDonald’s as the largest fast food chain with 33,749 locations, beating
out McD’s by 1,012 stores.
Currently, Subway holds strong with over 44,000 restaurants while McDonald’s has topped
out at just over 36,000. 9.
Extra Ingredients Some people like surprises.
Others don’t.
What both types of people have in common is that they don’t like surprises in their
food.
For instance, we can’t imagine anyone would appreciate finding a used bandage in their
fries, as Lauren Coleman of Illinois did in 2005, or the dead rat that Todd Haley, former
Dallas Cowboys assistant coach, found in a salad in 2006.
Foreign objects in its food are apparently such an issue that the company has made public
apologies for such things as a human tooth and a metal piece found in a pancake.
8.
Sugar Galore If you’re in need of a sugar fix but don’t
really want sweets, McDonald’s can help!
In 2016, the company announced plans to remove high-fructose corn syrup from its buns and
replace it with pure sugar.
Somebody not really paying attention will see the removal of corn syrup as a push in
a healthier direction, but let us not forget the inclusion of sugar.
While it’s not unheard of to use sugar in bread to speed up the rising process, McDonald’s
numbers seem… a little high.
For a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, you’ll be gobbling up 10 g of sugar or about 40%
of your daily intake suggested by the World Health Organization.
Somehow, that’s only 3 grams less than three of the restaurant’s hotcakes.
7.
Tax Avoidance One way to really get the people to crowd
around and support you is by being a multi-billion-dollar corporation that avoids paying taxes.
Right?
Between 2009 and 2013, the massive corporation was able to divert revenue in its European
market, leading to an alleged tax avoidance of over $1.1 billion.
Chump change!
The avoidance strategy is said to include moving the European headquarters from the
United Kingdom to Switzerland while also channeling royalty payments into a subsidiary in Luxembourg
with a Swiss branch.
6.
Federal Bailouts If the United States federal bailout of banks
and McDonald’s alleged tax avoidance scheme infuriated you, you may want to take your
blood pressure medicine right about meow.
During the long string of federal bailouts that started around 2007, over $3 trillion
was doled out to a long list of entities, and if you pay close attention to the drab
list of unknown corporations that are apparently important, one very familiar one may stand
out – McDonald’s.
The burger conglomerate was on the receiving end of $203 million during the United States
economic crisis.
Despite receiving the federal money as if it was on a path to collapse, from 2007 to
2010, McDonald’s continued to show growth in comparable sales and earnings per share.
5.
Cage-Free Calamity With McDonald’s push for complete transparency,
the company also made some changes to its food supply that seems more humane.
Rather than get eggs from caged birds, McDonald’s made the switch to cage-free chickens, but
while the phrase “cage-free” sounds like a step in the right direction, it may not
be the change you expected.
Cage-free hens may not live in cages, but they may be subject to extremely tight living
spaces, reduced contact with sunlight, and a higher potential for exposure to diseases
and injury.
In fact, a five-year study into the living conditions of caged and cage-free chickens
produced surprising results that showed a higher mortality rate in a cage-free system.
4.
Abused Birds As if cramped quarters and higher mortality
rates weren't bad enough, McDonald’s attempt at ridding the negative stigma of caged hens
isn’t going in the direction it expected.
In 2015, an undercover PETA investigator equipped with a hidden camera caught upsetting footage
of the conditions at a Tyson Food farm used by McDonald’s for its chicken supply.
In the video, birds were recorded being beaten and abused.
Workers were seen stepping on their beaks and pulling on their bodies to break their
neck.
The nonchalant brutality of the workers and disregard for deplorable conditions may outweigh
the cramped conditions of a caged environment.
3.
Employee Warning Nothing should give you a warmer and fuzzier
feeling about a product than when the 3rd party employee resource’s website warns
employees not to indulge in the product they’re selling.
Of course, the warning to employees, long-since removed, is just the HR department’s way
of covering the company’s rear as the food is far too accessible to employees, but as
a consumer, it’s still disheartening to see something like “eat at places that offer
a variety of salads, soups, and vegetables to maintain your best health.”
It’s all obvious information, but when you read it and then hear CEO Don Thompson defend
McDonald’s by saying they “don’t sell junk food,” you have to wonder who is pulling
your leg.
2.
The McDonald’s Addiction Perform a Google search for “McDonald’s
Addiction” and you’ll be met with multiple stories across many pages about an alleged
addiction to McDonald’s food.
It’s no secret that there are substances like dextrose in the food that plays to our
dopamine receptors, which is how we get stories like that of Stacey Irvine.
At the time of her tale in early 2016, Stacey was 17 years old and had been living on a
diet of chicken nuggets and French fries since she was a toddler.
She couldn’t get enough of the McDonald’s bite-sized treat and refused to break away
from her habit despite multiple warnings.
In February of 2016, Stacey collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where she was found
to have anemia and breathing complications.
The teen survived but is joined by many self-proclaimed “McDonald’s Addicts.”
1.
The “Healthier” Options If you think you’ll be able to walk into
a McDonald’s and actually get something healthy off of the menu, you may be sorely
mistaken; that is unless you order sliced apples from the kid’s menu.
The fact of the matter is the chain’s “healthier” options, like the oatmeal and salads, tend
to be on par with, say, a simple burger.
For instance, if you go for the southwest salad with grilled chicken, you’ll be eating
just ten fewer calories and 4 grams less fat than if you just had a burger, and that’s
not counting the dressing.
The fruit and maple oatmeal without brown sugar, which disguises itself as a fairly
healthy option, packs just 40 calories less than an Egg McMuffin.