U.S. fast food restaurants are increasingly being called to task for food quality (Taco Bell's bad onions), menu diversity (the call for vegetarian options) and the ethical treatment of animals (Pamela Anderson vs. KFC). In reviewing McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) worldwide operations, I came away impressed with the flexibility it has demonstrated in addressing these concerns. Other corporations should wish to have solutions already so tried and tested. In the U.K., to convince customers that the meat it serves is raised and slaughtered humanely, the company has a team of volunteer 'Quality Scouts.' These scouts visit farms and processing plants that supply the chain. Videos of these visits and their written reports are posted on the internet.
In Israel's 80 outlets, all beef used is kosher, although only a portion of the restaurants themselves are kosher. The kosher outlets do not serve any dairy products, and are closed on the Sabbath and all religious holidays.
In Muslim countries such as the U.A.E. and Indonesia, all meat served in sandwiches such as the McArabia (a burger served in flatbread rather than a bun) is halal, having been slaughtered in accordance with directives found in the Koran and carrying a Certificate of Islamic Slaughter.
In South America, McDonald's offer the McHuevo sandwich, a burger sandwich with a poached egg and mayonnaise. In India, the menu is full of vegetarian options appealing to the Hindu population.
Having a worldwide presence and food already customized to local tastes gives McDonald's business advantage in the ever-more culturally diverse American market, one I expect it to use to grow its market share.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
5-07-2007 @ 8:19PM
Hippiechick1955 said...
I for one think that the McHuevo sandwich sounds great!!! I wouldn't mind seeing it on an american menu.
5-07-2007 @ 8:31PM
Alex said...
I think it's great that McDonald's is paving the way for humane treatment of animals, extensive vegetarian options, and overall food quality. Other fast food joints could learn a thing or two.
5-07-2007 @ 9:06PM
gigi elkins said...
There is NO such thing as the "humane" treatment of killing an animal for their meat. It's a bunch of garbage. Any animal slaughtered for human consumption is cruel and unnecessary. There are thousands of vegetarian options out there if one cares enough. McDonald's food is garbage; most fast food restaurants are filthy and have rodents, etc. running around. (watch Fast Food Nation). If you really "love" yourself and your children, go buy some vegetarian patties or the numerous other items available at any food market. Feeding ANY child or yourself this junk is human abuse. Teach yourselves and your kids to treat their bodies like temples and they will be healthier and wiser. HOW hypocritical it is for kids to say their first words "duck, dog, pig, chick, etc. and then kill then and eat them. There is no "kind" way of slaughtering any animal on this planet; NONE. Pigs have the cognitive ability of 3 year olds and who "was it" that decided that we should have "dogs and cats were ok to be our pets and yet kill all the other animals? If you bother to "teach" your kids that killing animals is cruel and then eat them, then they will know better. When in doubt there is always a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. McDonalds and all other fast food restaurants are pure garbage. THINK about where it comes from; all the handling of it; disgusting. Try going into "dumpdairy.com", or "notmilk.com" and find out the b.s. you are really giving your kids. The calcium you "think" you are getting from dairy milk is actually leeching your body of natural calcium through fruits & vegetables; look at all the people who have used dairy all their lives; most senior citizens are bent over from osteoporosis. ANY person other than an infant who drinks mother's milk is inappropriate and just buys into the dairy industry's crap anad their money making propaganda that milk "is good for you". NO, it is NOT. It is TOTALLY UNNATURAL to drink cow milk unless you are a baby cow. We have NOTHING in common with this species; we have more in common with monkeys and yet we don't drink their milk. If you wonder where those stomach aches come from after eating cheese or drinking "cow milk" then there's your answer. Under microscope there is blood and pus inside of it. Humans are lactose intolerant because it is unnatural to drink it. WAKE UP EVERYONE; MILK IS NOT for human consumption; it is for baby cows. GO VEGAN and you'll also help save the planet and the life of an animal. Thank you!
5-07-2007 @ 10:57PM
melanie said...
gigi, give me a break! get off your freakin soap box. God put animals on Earth for man's use... and the biggest part of that is as food.
not everyone wants to be preached to about how 'wrong' eating meat is. you're the outnumbered one here...
5-07-2007 @ 9:42PM
tejas said...
gigi....shut the f@#@ up and pick on someone your own size...freak!!!!! :)
5-07-2007 @ 9:41PM
me said...
At last someone is trying to set a standard in fast food production.
Gigi elkins: the human body needs calcuim, which comes from cow milk. It needs protein, which comes from meat. Humans need to consume other animals to live a natural and healty life.
BTW: have fun w/ your peanut-butta-pasta w/ a side of apples! (haha)
5-08-2007 @ 12:17AM
George said...
Well, apparently ther's a reason vegetarians have shorter life spans compared to those who eat meat. Vegans have an even shorter life span than vegetarians. Just try and eat whatever you deem to be healthy, and try not to teach others using anger.
5-07-2007 @ 9:56PM
Fredster said...
If god didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them of meat!
5-07-2007 @ 10:10PM
Ameer said...
How do you humanely kill an animal ? Don't get me wrong, I am definitely a meat eater, but let's get real here. Slaughter is slaughter. The only humane way to kill an animal would be to administer sleeping pills, and I'm pretty sure that won't be happening. It would be pretty cool to see some of the vegetarian choices from India on the American menu. By the way, the McHuevo sounds absolutely deee-sgusting !!
5-07-2007 @ 10:19PM
Bart said...
P.eople
E.ating
T.asty
A.nimals
5-08-2007 @ 5:02PM
IBx27 said...
I'm glad McDonalds is working around the world like this, and it shows their responsability as a corporation in doing so. People make so many stupid lawsuits and cry wolf about rats that it distorts the image of what McD's is trying to do and doing for the world. I laughed at the mention of the McArabia, because I'd like to see some McCanadas and McAmericas, McFrances, etc. Wouldn't you order one because of the name?
Gigi, shut the f**k up. Eat what you want to, believe what you want to, but don't preach to us normals. I've seen vegans and vegetarians, and they don't look as healthy as regular-dieted people. Legs are 7 inches around, waistline of 18 inches, skin whiter than the whitest white, if not a bit green, it's all ready to be broken like a twig or taken over by skin cancer. Bodies need animal protien, not just bean stuff, and animal calcium, not the stuff from Yellowstone Nat'l Park.
5-07-2007 @ 10:25PM
Ryan said...
Giggi absolutly knows their stuff. Vegans and vegetarians have a shorter life span than meat eaters? Wow. How amazing the bliss you have in ingnorance. Try to do some research. Theres a reason cancer, disease obesity are household words. Heard of cholestorol?? Yep, you only get it from one source in the universe. Beans and lentils have more protien then and flesh will ever had, and your body will actually use it, got it George? Think about your mom giving you toys, you go out and crush them then say "Thanks mom". You think she would be happy? Using Some kind of god as an excuse to polute your body and kill animals and yourself is such an aweful disgrace to the human race. Since most of the people who will read this are so brainwashed by the industries massive ad campaign, youll probably never even bother to look up anything on your own. People actually beleive they need it to survive. Sad.
5-07-2007 @ 10:27PM
D.D. said...
We were delayed in a train station in Italy, and amazed to discover that the McDonald's sold local beer. What a concept, wonder why they haven't gone that way in the U.S.?
5-07-2007 @ 10:40PM
Justin said...
Wow, "gig elkins" you sure bought into the "vegan" outlook yourself, for spouting off about "propaganda" so much. As a matter of fact, we have only to look to nature for the answer of whether or not eating meats is healthy. What do bears eat? How about wolves? What about penguins? Hmm, how about wild cats? Humans are predatory by nature, and predatory animals are generally carnivores or omnivores. Please try to keep your close-minded opinions to yourself, at least until you earn a degree in something other than "Dumbass". Thank you.
5-07-2007 @ 10:43PM
Sarah said...
I for one think that mcdonalds is grose cause all they sell is hamburgers and thats all they market. its disgusting! How about a veggie pita? or a broiled fish sandwich like they have in canada? only in america do they have to serve the grose food
5-07-2007 @ 10:44PM
wslin1 said...
To the vegan freak with the tome - if you're so worried about not killing animals, why don't you first start by protecting your own kind and save all the preaching for people who kill our unborn children. No one should care how the animals are killed (for at leasr some form of human consumption) until they think about the slaughter of innocent babies with no voice (killed for no reason oher than gender selection or convenience). Wkae up and get a real life not an animated one.
5-07-2007 @ 10:50PM
Sarah said...
Oh and i want to add one more thing about mcdonalds, they have a mclak sandwich in canada which is a salmon sandich. That sounds to me alot better than killing animals. we need something different for us semi vegetarians!
5-08-2007 @ 10:23PM
Marcus said...
Gigi:
I appreciate your position, but you need to chill. You're getting too much blood flow to the brain. You really should think about eating more meat so you can build up a little cholesterol in the arteries and slow the rush of blood to the head.
5-07-2007 @ 11:21PM
52897 said...
To the person who said "The only humane way to kill an animal would be to administer sleeping pills," let me assure you that "putting them to sleep" AKA POISIONING is NOT more humane than many mechanical slaughter methods. It is a simple fact that an animal dies more quickly and with less pain by a knife, or correctly placed bullet, or blow to the head than by chemicals. Having watched many animals "put to sleep" by conventional methods I have come to the conclusion that our human desire for a "clean" (no blood or gore) death has made us ignore that the toxification of animals can be and often is a truely painful process. Just to add to the arguement... I spent about 10 years as a vegetarian, but now eat meat about once or twice a week.
5-07-2007 @ 11:25PM
Dawn Clay said...
As far as eating meat goes, that's the purpose of animals. Evolution dictates that species consume each other: a more dominant species will always and has always preyed upon a weaker. As humans we were endowed with higher intellect to overtake, dominate, and kill more physically powerful species and thus consume their flesh for energy. In turn, when we die, our bodies fertilize the earth and the grass that other species eat. What's the problem? In addition, let's be practical: what other purpose does a cow, chicken, or pig serve? Will they use their "cognitive abilities of a 3-year-old" to further the Earth? Are they endowed with a soul? From my Judeo-Christian background(the same background this country was founded on, and that shaped the entire Western world)only human beings were endowed an eternal soul. Animals were placed on Earth to consume each other, simple as that. And why isn't Gigi squawking about other species consuming each other? Because she knows that carnivores and omnivores must consume meat. We were designed as omnivores. Each cell in our body relies on components of meat. The most efficient iron for the human body to produce blood is heme iron-derived solely from meat. While I do agree with the oh-so-self-righteous-and-blissfully-ignorant Gigi about the consumption of another species milk for the young of our species, on everything else, she needs a reality check.