McDonald's Sued Over Ingredients of Fries

[tocqueville]

Sat Feb 18, 11:36 PM ET

CHICAGO - McDonald's Corp. faces at least three lawsuits claiming the fast-food giant misled the public after it acknowledged earlier this week its french fries contain milk and wheat ingredients.

Debra Moffatt of Lombard, Ill., seeks unspecified damages in a suit filed Friday in Chicago. Her attorney, Thomas Pakenas, said his client has celiac disease, which causes gastrointestinal symptoms set off by eating gluten, a protein found in wheat.

Mark and Theresa Chimiak of Jupiter, Fla., sued Friday in Florida, claiming their 5-year-old daughter has an intolerance to gluten and became seriously ill after eating the fries. Nadia Sugich of Los Angeles sued Wednesday, saying she eats no animal products and would not have eaten the fries had she known they contained dairy ingredients.

McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Ill., said Monday that wheat and dairy products are used to flavor its fries.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060219/ap_on_he_me/mcdonald_s_fries_suit_4

[madokie]

1. I knew there was a reason I didn't like their fries and not just the

greasy part either.

[BushOut06]

4. Actually McDonald's fries are my favorite fast-food fries

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but damned I loved their fries. Looking at my waist, perhaps a little too much ;)

[midnight]

22. Me too.

It is a place I try to stay away from,because they are so good.

[mainer]

100. Me too! And Julia Child agreed with us!

I read an interview with her years ago where she confessed that she had a secret addiction to McDonald's french fries.

[mystikwarrior]

2. What

In the heck is a vegetarian who eats NOTHING that has any connection to animals or wheat grains doing in McDonalds in the first place? All they can do is buy a Coke.

[seriousstan]

3. Looking for a lawsuit.

It is well known they cook their fries in beef tallow. Also, not many fast food places don't coat their fries now a days.

[benburch]

6. Haven't used beef tallow there in many years.

They Cook in vegetable shortening.

HOWEVER, they have also been sured by people who were lied to about that... Seems they added beef based flavoring to the fries when they started touting the veggie shortening, making it sound like a veggie french fry when it was NOT.

[AllegroRondo]

5. You would think the fries are OK for a vegetarian

potatoes - check
vegetable oil - check

[Debau2005]

7. They fry EVERYTHING

in the same oil, not just fries. And it is not always per Vegetable oil. So if you are a Vegetarian like I am, for moral reasons you would never eat fries at McDonalds. All the fish and chicken are fried in the same grease as the fries.

This is reaching, and makes the rest of us look like idiots. To me this is no different then the lawsuit brought by parents of obese children. It is about personal responsibility!

[hang a left]

11. I don't think that is true either.

They have a seperate fryer for the fries. Anyone who loves Mickey Dee's frys knows that. Well, time for a cigarette break.

[LostinVA]

13. They do have a separate basket for the fries -- always have

[Debau2005]

19. They have a separate basket

Not a separate frying station. The oil is still the same. They also do not empty the oil every night. They use the same oil for several days.

Unless your McDonald's is different then the ones' I have been in or worked in!

[LostinVA]

21. I don't eat at McDonald's anymore

But my sister worked in one for two years, and they had separate fry stations. Oil, etc.

[BushOut06]

83. The one I used to work at did it separately

We did the fries separately from the chicken patties & nuggets. In fact, we changed the oil pretty regularly also - I know, because that was the one job I absolutely hated doing.

[SaveElmer]

20. How is that exactly?

How were these parents supposed to "divine" that McDonalds was putting Wheat and Milk in their fries, when they did not disclose it. Dietery disclusure rules are there for a reason. WHy should McDonalds be exempt?

[Katherine Brengle]

82. I believe there were laws passed or something requiring the use

of separate baskets and separate fryers. When I was in high school (about 10 yrs ago give or take), I worked at Burger King for awhile, and we used one fryer for fries and onion rings and one for chicken.

[KurtNYC]

14. French fries aren't really okay for anyone

Saturated fat (and lots of it) - check
GM potatoes - not anymore*
acrylamide (carcinogen formed during frying) - check
trans fat - check
500 empty calories - check

If they taste "so good" then why are they so unappetizing when cool/room-temp?

* edit: McD pulled the GM fries back in 2000:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/04/28/fries4_28.a.tm/index.html

[BushOut06]

29. I don't think that has anything to do with it

"If they taste "so good" then why are they so unappetizing when cool/room-temp?"

There are lots of foods that taste great when cooked, but I wouldn't want to eat when they are cool/room-temp. I'm sorry, I like McDonalds fries. I like their double cheeseburgers. I like their chicken nuggets. But I also know how bad they are (especially after watching Supersize Me), which is why I've cut my trips to McDonalds to a bare minimum - a very rare treat for myself.

[Katherine Brengle]

62. Exactly--I'm vegan and I never would have eaten them if I had known--

it's just bad form and negligence to consumers not to disclose ingredients--if packaged food in the supermarket has to be labeled, why not fast food? Maybe because no one really wants to know what is in it...

[AnneD]

9. You can always get a

salad. Not as much fun, but an edible choice.

[seriousstan]

12. The salad comes with cheese and croutons.

[Katherine Brengle]

75. Yes, the salads do--you can ask for them without that stuff, but they

don't always have plain salads. In addition, I don't know about anyone else, but when I want a salad, I go to the supermarket and buy salad--fast food salads are usually disgusting--wilted lettuce, crappy vegetables, loaded with extra junk and the dressing is like a heart-attack in a packet. The only reason I ever go to one of these places is for a rare junk food fix, and then it's fries all the way--but not anymore, lol.

[AnneD]

102. Easily picked off (parmesan is a tad difficult)

and croutons are packaged and easily disposed. The garden salads are the easiest and safest to meet the childs needs. McDonalds generally don't say anything when parents bring in food for a special needs child. I am a tad suspicious about this.

[henslee]

10. The action figures they give away are lilke heroin for kids.

[SidDithers]

56. People with Celiac disease can eat meat...

just not gluten. My 8 year old daughter, like most kids, loves McDonalds. She can have a beef patty without the bun, and french fries. It almost makes her feel like she fits in with all the other kids who don't have to follow a special diet.

Personally, I don't agree with the lawsuits, because the response by McDonalds has actually been very good on this issue. They have acknowledged the problem, and are working to correct it. The lawsuit, however, will only encourage others in the food service industry to label everything with "May contain wheat, milk, nuts, etc..." even if it doesn't, just so they don't get sued. It is hard enough trying to find easy, pre-made gluten-free food. Lawsuits like this one are only going to make it harder.

Sid

[joeunderdog]

71. In 2006, Bush made it a requirement to list common allergens on

all food products. That's what my doc said. If this is true, then I have found the 1 thing I agree with him on.

McD's should know better. People can DIE from the hidden products in their food. They should be liable for this. There's no good reason for them to be deceptive about these ingredients.

As someone who is allergic to wheat, I could tell that something was in those fries when my throat constricted after I ate them. That's the little signal I get, some times worse than others. Good thing I didn't eat alot of them.

[npincus]

8. McDonald's should have disclosed the milk and wheat, however

parents who want healthy kids should keep them out of McDonald's. Pizza is a healthier fast-food and not as caloric.

[SidDithers]

60. Uhhh, pizza has a bit of wheat in it too...nt

Sid

[npincus]

85. the pizza recommendation was meant as a general comment

Exposing kids to unhealthy fast food is not a great idea, in my opinion. All parents want their kids to be healthy but many unwittingly feed thier kids crap... an administrator at my daughter's pre-school told me many kids bring soda and chips for breakfast, and so on.. the school acutally had a 'healthy food week' recently with a print-out of healthy suggestions for parents- a diplomatic way to send a message to parents.

For someone with a wheat (and milk) allergy, dietary choices are limited- pizza has cheese, of course. That's a tough one.

I thnk McDonald's should have disclosed those ingredients as I said.

On a personal note- I love McDonald's (Big Macs- yum yum) but I don't take my 3-year old there. I am sure she'll be going there without me when she gorws up a bit (3 years old now).

[patcox2]

15. Anyone who eats at McDonalds deserves what they get.

Ya can't have it both ways, its trash food for morons. Stay away if you have religious or medical dietary restrictions.

[SaveElmer]

17. Sorry but that is ridiculuous....

Why should McDonalds be exempt from dietary disclosure standards. WOuld you have said the same thing if they had been using peanut oil and someone with an allergy died. My wife has celiac disease as well, and any gluten makes her sick. Not only that, repeated irritation by eating gluten can later cause even more serious disease.

You have no right to judge how these parents are raising their kids. In my house going to McDonalds was a sometime special occasion, not a source of sustenance.

McDonalds deserves to be sued on this one!!!

[patcox2]

37. You were conditioned to associate McDs with celebration?

How sad. Thats not just drinking the corporate coolaid, thats swimming in it. How much nicer to associate a lovingly prepared special home meal with celebration?

[SaveElmer]

38. I see..

So anyone who eats at McDOnalds is a stupid rube who deserves what they get?

[patcox2]

43. No restaurant is required to disclose allergens, most don't.

What about all the other restaurants in the world, are they all evil?

And yes, McDonalds is a crappy, trashy place that serves trashy food. Choosing it as a source for nutrition at all is questionable judgment, to me. Choosing to indoctrinate children with the idea that McDs is a special treat, thats terrible, they are going to go through life craving that trash food, no wonder so many american kids are obese.

The woman in Florida who is suing took her daughter to McDonalds every day for two years. Thats borderline child abuse. No sympathy from me.

Fast Food Nation is a good book on the topic of the fast food industry.

[SaveElmer]

45. They are required to disclose their ingredients...

On top of that, McDonalds had been claiming their fries were gluten free...which they were not

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=38082

How a woman was raising her daughter is completely irrelevent to the issue.

[sendero]

74. You've got to be kidding..

.... this is not a frivolous suit. Allergies and diseases such as celiacs are no joking matter.

I'm allergic to garlic. When I tell the waiter at a restaurant, you'd better believe they hop to the kitchen and make sure that what I order doesn't have any. If you think you have no legal right to know what you are eating, you are sadly mistaken and you'd best stay out of the restaurant business.

[Katherine Brengle]

81. I agree...

When I was a kid, we would go there maybe once every other month as a fun treat--it was never a common thing, and I honestly don't think it should be--it's really disgusting--but saying that someone deserves to get sick because they decided to stop for some french fries (I'm not talking about regular consumption--in that, I would agree with you) is just ridiculous.

[joeunderdog]

94. yeah, and anyone who lives in America deserves what they get, too?

If there was pi$$ in your beer and they disclosed it after your last six-pack, would you "desrve" that too.

I'm allergic to wheat, eat less "junk food" than most people, and could die on the one time/year I might eat McFries when I'm travelling and can't find anything else to eat. Do I "desrve" what I get?

[AllegroRondo]

16. Watch "Super Size Me" - great fry info

theres a bonus item on the DVD, where they place some McDonalds items and some items from a local burger place into glass jars to see what happens to them.

After several weeks, the local burger place food is rotting away nicely, the McDonalds food is turning weird colors, but the fries look like nothing has happened. Even after 6 months, the McDonalds fries look like they were just purchased. Do you really want that in your body?

[annofark]

18. ENOUGH

Enough of the suing frenzy. The food and drug administration revised their labeling rules and McDonalds abided by the new laws and made the appropriate changes to their websites food label section.

How stupid that someone with these intense food allergies would eat at mcDonalds in the first place.

[Richard Steele]

23. Bull! I think a lawsuit is perfectly appropriate. Welcome to DU. nm

[Debau2005]

24. THANK YOU!

We are a nation of suing just because we don't take the time to find out critical information! As I said earlier, it is about personal responsibility!

[SaveElmer]

26. Explain please...

How research would have led these parents to know there was wheat and milk in McDOnald's fries. Do you expect to them to take the fries to a lab to have them analyzed first. My understanding is McDonald's did not disclose these ingredients were in their fries, how were the parents supposed to know?

Dietery disclosure laws are there for a reason...McDOnalds violated them and should be held accountable.

[Debau2005]

28. I give up

Ya'll win. Go to McDonalds or any restaurant and expect them to be something they are not. They are greasy fast food. If you are a vegetarian why would you go to a restaurant that you can only have a coke? And even then the transfer of grease in the air, gets on the cups...

If you have health issues, why would you go to a greasy restaurant?

But you guys win! Let's sue everybody. Don't forget the meat industry, now that they have disclosed that they use Carbon Monoxide to keep meat red and appealing looking. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11451389/

Don't forget the dairy industry, for not disclosing where the enzymes to make some cheese comes from. "Obtained from the stomach region of a suckling mammal, usually a calf or lamb. As mentioned, this is the traditional way to make cheese; nearly all European cheeses use animal rennet."
http://mnstf.org/~raphael/jain-list/msg01402.html

Or any of the other food products that you eat everyday.
http://www.navs-online.org/voice/additives/

[SaveElmer]

31. You are arguing a seperate issue...

Celiac Sprue is not a disease caused by eating unhealthy or fattening food, it is a disease caused by eating gluten. You could get bread from a health food store and get just as ill. Restaurants and food manufacturers are required to disclose the contents of their products for this reason.

What would you have said if McDonalds hid the fact they were using Peanut Oil in their fries and a kid had a severe allergic reaction and died. WOuld you blame that on the parents as well?

The seperate issue is a healthy diet. Believe it or not it is possible to eat at McDOnalds on occasion and not have it adversely affect your health. I agree that parents of obese children have no case...that is not a case where McDonalds was being negligent.

[SidDithers]

69. Ahhh, must be nice to live in ignorance...

The issue is not about grease, or cheese, or meat. It is about gluten.

Sid

[Debau2005]

93. Yes, when you disagree with someone

bring out the insults...

Excellent job helping to bring light to this issue.

[SidDithers]

105. I said you were ignorant about the issue..

which you clearly are. When the issue is food labelling and gluten in french fries, why do you go off about vegetarians, grease and carbon monoxide?

:shrug:

Sid

[Debau2005]

107. My point was

NO food is what you think it is. Fast Food potatoes is no longer potatoes. And if you have not realized that processed food has little trace of the original food, then perhaps the ignorance is yours.

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/145c_eating_well.html

As for vegetarians, grease, carbon monoxide, etc. it is the same issue. Do you know what is being done to the food you eat? Obviously not.

[sendero]

79. Yes it is ..

... the personal responsibility of a decision maker at the corporate level to not LIE about what is in their food.

These folks will win this suit, and they deserve to.

[LostinVA]

25. Of course they should be sued if they don't follow the law

And, if they threaten consumer safety.

[WinkyDink]

54. Ah. "...to their websites."

Gee, I guess they might lose MONEY if they actually posted this, oh, I don't know, on their MENU BOARDS?
I know I ALWAYS check a restaurant/fast-food place's web-site before I visit, doesn't EVERYone??

[SidDithers]

66. Educate yourself before condeming as "stupid"...

a group of people who have taken the time to confirm that a food was safe for their child, and then later found out that the information they recieved was incorrect.

Oh yeah, welcome to DU, I think.

Sid

[Bridget Burke]

88. Is this a "frivolous lawsuit"?

Guess you just love tort reform....

[sandnsea]

106. How stupid to expect fries to be potatoes

The audacity of some people. I swear, how unAmerican of them.

[Ron Mexico]

27. I know this won't be popular, but I'm really sick

of these goddamned lawsuits. When I first moved to Virginia in 2003, a Big Mac meal was $2.69. Now it's skyrocketed, largely because of crap like this.

McDonalds has abided by federal standards regarding listing ingredients and nutritional information since the standards were enacted (I believe 1990 or 1991), and now we have dumb fucks suing because, well, a.) they didn't know that eating $27 a day worth of McDonalds food would make them gain weight, b.) golly, McDonalds isn't offering enough salads, thereby backhandedly enticing unsuspecting poor consumers into buying more hamburgers, c.) the company "misled" us even though those who have health problems should ask first.

I know of nobody with MSG problems who just orders straight off a Chinese menu without asking if MSG is in the food. If I had the problems these people claim to have, I'd make sure I knew every ingredient of every item on fast food menus, since these restaurants are in every city, and since I'm deathly allergic to coconut I actually have made such inquiries regarding coconut oil.

I want these restaurants to stop settling with people like this, and if the plaintiffs lose, I want McDonalds to countersue to recover legal expenses. We need to put a stop to this shit.

[Debau2005]

30. ...

:applause:

[Doctor_J]

32. Why do you think this is unpopular?

:shrug: These people are obviously looking for a buck, and NO ONE wants them to win.

[Ron Mexico]

34. I'm basing my guess on

a thread I saw here a while back, where something similar to what I wrote wasn't terribly well-received. I was a true newbie back then instead of just a relative one, and maybe it made too strong of an impression. I wasn't even going to post about this because of that thread, but I just lost my temper after reading this article.

I'm not well off financially and these constant post-lawsuit price increases have a real effect on me, even at places where I rarely eat (like McDonalds).

[SaveElmer]

36. How do you think they would affect people harmed...

Because these companies do not follow disclosure laws. How about a kid who gets sick because he ate something that was not disclosed. McDonalds is a huge company, surely they must be held accountable when they don't follow the law, praticularly when that law is put into place for the protection of consumers.

[Ron Mexico]

39. Have they broken it, though?

McDonalds gets sued more often than accountants do. Too early to tell, but I'll bet their disclosure policies are in compliance with every federal law out there.

If they broke a law, fine, smack them - but I'm betting that they didn't.

[SaveElmer]

41. Well right now...it looks like they did...

I agree, if they complied with the law, there is no ground for a lawsuit. But I find it interesting that all of a sudden they have been including the disclosure of wheat and milk in their ingredient list.

If they have complied with the law, then the law needs to be changed to force disclosure of these ingredients

The facts as I understand them now however would indicate they are in violation.

[Ron Mexico]

44. If they did, then

fine, smack them down - but I'm betting they didn't.

After years of bullshit lawsuits, I've been conditioned to assume that the plaintiff is full of it until proven otherwise - which shows how much bullshit some of these lawsuits are, since initially siding with a corporation is nowhere close to my first instinct.

Sad, really.

[SaveElmer]

46. Here is an article I found...

Looks like they were also claiming their fries were gluten free...which is even worse

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=38082

[Ron Mexico]

49. They still claim it.

From their website (http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal?process=item&itemID=6050): "Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy, but has been verified by the University of Nebraska to be allergen and gluten free."

I doubt the U of N did this for them as a last-minute favor, so it remains to be seen if McDonalds is found guilty of violating the law.

[SaveElmer]

51. I think that is the point...

They are claiming that their fries are gluten free...if it is found they are not they should be liable. That I believe is the nexus of the complaint.

I am not one of these people who believe in frivolous lawsuits, but if their fries did make these people sick, and if the fries contained gluten when they claim it did not, these people need to be recompensed for their medical expenses. I am nopt saying McDonalds was purposely trying to make people sick. But it appears they were negligent.

And according to the reuters article "Before its acknowledgment Monday, the company had quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" to the french fries listing on its Web site."

[Ron Mexico]

55. And if

it is found that the fries really ARE gluten free, as they still claim, or that McDonalds was not in violation of any law? Should McDonalds be recompensed for legal expenses to defend itself against this lawsuit, or any that turns out to be frivolous?

[SaveElmer]

58. I think it likely...

That if what you say is true...that it will be thrown out before any legal action is allowed to go forward. Even if it is thrown out that does not mean it is necessarily frivolous. Surely individuals do not have the resources to determine whether McDonald's violated the law or not. They have the illness of their kid after eating McDonalds fries, and the new information that they contain wheat. Celiac hits pretty quickly after eating something.

I don't want people to think they can't take on a big company just because they don't have the resources of that company, if they think they will be bankrupted for just being wrong.

[Ron Mexico]

64. Neither do I, but

I also don't want people to think they can roll the dice at any time with no cost to them. Win or lose, corporations pass the legal expenses on to us, so if someone tries something stupid like "I ate 7000 meals at McDonalds over the last six years and now I'm fat, I want compensation," I have no problem bankrupting someone like that.

[SaveElmer]

65. Yeas I agree...

Those bringing truly frivolous lawsuits ought to pay the legal expenses...

[PA Democrat]

95. Are you as outraged by all of the lawsuits that businesses initiate

or have you merely fallen for the corporate propaganda about individuals who initiate "frivolous" lawsuits? Why does "tort reform" always attempt to limit the individual's right to sue for damages but never the big corporations' rights to sue?


U.S.Businesses File Four Times More Lawsuits Than Private Citizens And Are Sanctioned Much More Often for Frivolous Suits

But Corporate America and Political Allies Bush and Cheney Campaign to Limit Citizens’ Rights to Sue

WASHINGTON, D.C. – American businesses file four times as many lawsuits as do individuals represented by trial attorneys, and they are penalized by judges much more often for pursuing frivolous litigation, according to a report issued today by Public Citizen.

The survey of case filings in two states (Arkansas and Mississippi) and two local jurisdictions (Cook County, Ill., and Philadelphia, Pa.) in 2001 found that businesses were 3.3 to 5.8 times more likely to file lawsuits than were individuals. This comes as businesses and politicians are campaigning to limit citizens’ rights to sue over everything from medical malpractice damages to defective products. By way of comparison, the number of American consumers (281 million) outnumbers the number of businesses in America (7 million) by 40 times.

The report also found that businesses and their attorneys were 69 percent more likely than individual tort plaintiffs and their attorneys to be sanctioned by federal judges for filing frivolous claims or defenses. The report, Frequent Filers: Corporate Hypocrisy in Accessing the Courts, is available by clicking here.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1799

[Ron Mexico]

96. Ah, I was unaware that

when discussing the McDonalds suit I'd have to throw in disclaimers about not approving of the corporate equivalent to avoid being accused of "falling for corporate propoganda." Thanks for clearing that up for me - otherwise I might have gone on addressing the topic without digressing. Whew.

Oh, and since corporations do it more often, I have officially changed my mind. There is no such thing as a frivolous lawsuit from an individual. They're all valid.

Wow, did you save me from some embarrassment there. :eyes:

[PA Democrat]

98. You are embarrassing yourself by believing the lies propagated by corporate

America about frivolous lawsuits filed by individuals. They want you to be outraged by lawsuits initiated by individuals and just ignore the fact that Corporate America itself is the biggest abuser of the legal system.

You showed that you have fallen for their propaganda when you admitted that you side with the corporations:

"After years of bullshit lawsuits, I've been conditioned to assume that the plaintiff is full of it until proven otherwise - which shows how much bullshit some of these lawsuits are, since initially siding with a corporation is nowhere close to my first instinct."

My post pointed out the fallacy of your statement, since in the vast majority of lawsuits, corporations are both the plaintiff and the defendant.

[Ron Mexico]

99. Cannot waste time responding to you, I must serve my corporate masters.

Reread my words and you'll see it wasn't an "admission" that I side with corporations, it's an admission that I side with the defendant ("I've been conditioned to assume that the plaintiff is full of it until proven otherwise"). In most high-profile cases (read: ones covered by mainstream media), the corporation is the defendant. Oh, and then there is the part about siding with corporations being nowhere close to my first instinct, but you blew that off while jumping to your conclusion that I have fallen for corporate propoganda, which was based on your assumption that you're the only one who knows that not all lawsuits are filed by individuals.

YOU are embarrassing YOURSELF by putting words into someone else's mouth and then lecturing them. I was discussing the McDonalds case SPECIFICALLY, not ALL lawsuits. Please take your "you've fallen for propoganda" crap to a thread that discusses tort reform as a whole instead of one individual case, since I am really not interested in being lectured by someone who jumps to conclusions and then force-feeds others the opportunity to benefit from your depth.

[SaveElmer]

35. If you had a kid who got sick from celiac...

You would feel differently...

No different than if McDonald's had not disclosed peanut oil was in their fries and a kid died. Disclosure laws are there to protect consumers.

[Ron Mexico]

47. And if McDonalds followed them?

And please don't tell me how and under what circumstances I would feel differently until you get to know me and my wife, as well as our medical histories. No offense, but you sound just like Repugs who claim that this policy or that one is the right one and "if you had lost someone during 9/11, you'd feel differently."

I'm horribly allergic to coconut and coconut oil, and if in doubt I just don't order it. My wife has similar problems, and we know exactly what we can and can order in every major chain in the country. Sadly, this deprives us of eating in smaller restaurants, but knowing what we're putting into our bodies is our responsibility. If it is proven that McDonalds hid the dairy and wheat info in violation of federal law, then by all means make them pay, but I doubt they did. And if it turns out that McDonalds is being sued only because readily available information wasn't spelled out for the plaintiffs often or loudly enough, I hope McDonalds bites back.

[SaveElmer]

48. Look...

If MCDonalds corporation did not disclose their ingredients to their restaurants, as it appears now they did not, and on top of that claimed their fries were gluten free...and you had the disease and got sick. What do you think should happen to the company?

I find it ironic that I am being called a Republican because I think it appropriate to hold a large corporation accountable for apparently violating the law and putting peoples health at risk.

[Ron Mexico]

50. They STILL claim the fries are gluten free.

http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal?process=item&itemID=6050

..."Potatoes, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (beef, wheat and dairy sources), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (may contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated corn oil and/or partially hydrogenated canola oil and/or cottonseed oil and/or sunflower oil and/or corn oil). Contains derivatives of wheat and dairy, but has been verified by the University of Nebraska to be allergen and gluten free."

Oh, and I didn't call you a Republican, I said you sounded like one with your "you'd feel differently if you were in these shoes" line. Only a Republican claims that you have to be in his or her position to have the proper understanding of an issue, and that's not far from what you were doing (without knowing anything about me or my situation), was it?

As I have said elsewhere, if McDonalds broke the law, they should get smacked hard. As I have also said elsewhere, I doubt they did. My guess is that the information was readily available, but not hanging in front of the plaintiff's faces at the time of the order. Time will tell if I'm right.

[SaveElmer]

53. You know what Ron...

I think you and I are talking past each other...I think we substantially agree. If they broke the law, they should be held accountable. If they did not break the law, the lawsuits have no merit.

In my opinion, if this disclosure was not required, or a prominent warning was not required (as with peanuts), the law should require it. WHeat and Dairy allergies are common enough that a warning should be given for those items.

[Ron Mexico]

59. We probably are

pretty close to being on the same page.

What pisses me off is that win or lose, the cost of every suit gets passed on to you and me. I rarely eat at McDonalds, but my wife loves Wendy's and we're watching our pennies. I'm tired of paying for other people's get-rich-quick schemes, and regardless of how this suit turns out, McDonalds certainly has hundreds to deal with at any given time.

The guy who ate at McDonalds three times a day for six or seven years without exercising and then sued McDonalds for making him fat is someone I'd shoot myself, given a day of amnesty.

[SaveElmer]

63. Yes I agree with you...

The big problem with frivolous lawsuits is that legitimate ones get caught up in the same discussion. People with genuine grievances do not get the hearing they deserve.

[Ron Mexico]

78. Take another look at what my post led to

and think about revising your "These people are obviously looking for a buck, and NO ONE wants them to win." :)

I knew I'd take heat for what I wrote.

[SaveElmer]

33. Let me ask you this...

What if McDonalds had not dislosed that it used peanut oil in its fries, and a kid with a severe peanut allergy had died because of it. WOuld that be the parents fault as well. Are parents supposed to take all fast food to be analyzed first to make sure it is safe. No, there are laws which require restaurants and food processors to do that. McDonalds hid the fact there was wheat and milk in their fries and a kid got sick. Do you think some flunky at the restaurant was going to know wheat and milk were in the fries when they had not been told either?

My wife has celiac sprue, and I can tell you it is not a pretty sight when she accidently gets some gluten in her. IT can also cause later more serious disease if it is not closely monitored.

[Ron Mexico]

42. How do you know that McDonalds

actually hid that information? You're taking the claim of these people at face value? I'm not. After years and years of lawsuits, not to mention tons of government regulations and oversight, you honestly think that McDonalds conspired to hide this?

In answer to your question, if a kid is deathly allergic to anything and parents just let him order afood without looking at it, they're at least partially at fault - and if McDonalds had followed all federal laws, as I suspect they did this time, then they're entirely at fault. Just my opinion.

[WinkyDink]

61. Please. Like it ever occurred to you that FRIES would have ANYthing

other than: potato and oil?
And if you think McD's has raised its prices because of lawsuits, how would you account for the higher costs of: housing; gasoline; wages; shareholder demands; raw ingredients; transportation; etc.? All from lawsuits?

Funny thing, though; I've noticed that those who complain about lawsuits run swiftly to a lawyer when they've been injured or are in legal hot water (cf. Republicans).

[Ron Mexico]

70. When have you ever seen a corporation suck up legal costs

instead of passing them on to the consumer?

Oh, and it HAS occurred to me that fries contain things other than potato and oil - I have to look up food all the time to make sure that there are no traces of coconut, my wife has to avoid tons of things. We look up everything, even if it seems ludicrous to do so.

As for your last passage, what that has to do with anything I'm saying is beyond me. When you see claim that all lawsuits are frivolous or see me engage in a frivolous lawsuit myself, let me know.

[Katherine Brengle]

73. LOL Like Rush and the ACLU--gotta love hypocrisy.... and I agree

that the lawsuits are not the cause of higher prices--the prices are similar at all other fast food and casual dining restaurants, and prices on all consumables continue to rise--it has nothing to do with lawsuits.

[Katherine Brengle]

68. If they were abiding by the standards, they would have told consumers

that there were milk and wheat ingredients in FRENCH FRIES. French fries are fried potatoes--why would any consumer assume that they had additional ingredients without being explicitly informed by the company?

"McDonalds has abided by federal standards regarding listing ingredients and nutritional information since the standards were enacted (I believe 1990 or 1991)"

Now, I agree that consumers should not be able to sue because they got fat or unhealthy from eating this garbage--that's just stupid, in my opinion. But suing a company for breaking a law is not frivolous--without these kinds of lawsuits (i.e., the ones that are currently pending), there would be no regulation of the food industry.

[Ron Mexico]

76. "why would any consumer assume that they had additional ingredients...

...without being explicitly informed by the company?"

If they're deathly allergic to anything, it's best to assume first rather than say "hey, this company which mass-produces food couldn't possibly use anything except for this," wouldn't you agree?

My wife and I have had to look up a lot of stuff like this - coconut in my case, a combo platter of things in hers. If we can't be 100% sure, we avoid the product. Naturally, there are some assumptions we dare to make (like assuming that the pink lemonade at Burger King is free of cayenne pepper), but VERY few.

[Katherine Brengle]

84. here's the catch--there are laws protecting consumers from even having

to ask. I am not saying we shouldn't--it's a simple safety precaution. BUT if the ingredients aren't listed, do you really think that the McD's employees know what is in the food if you asked? If it isn't written down somewhere?

And for someone like me, not allergic, who elects not to consume certain foods, I should be able to read a list of ingredients and make a choice without relying on a minimum wage earning high school student's ability to inform me about what is in my food.

[Ron Mexico]

86. I thought that such information was supposed to be

available upon request - you know, pamphlets or handouts - and that this is part of the federal law. I'll have to look. I'm certainly not saying or even suggesting that people with dangerous health conditions be forced to trust the extent of ingredient knowledge possessed by a teenage cashier.

Suppose I order something with coconut in it and need a tube shoved down my throat to save my life, sue, and during the course of the lawsuit it becomes clear that all I had to do was ask for a paper copy of ingredients of the dishes offered. In that case, wouldn't you agree that it's my fault for not asking and that the restaurant shouldn't be held liable for not slowing up lines by running all of us through checklists and making us all sign a waiver?

The jury's still out on this case, but what if the information was available and they didn't ask? It just seems inconceivable to me that after so many years of so many lawsuits, McDonalds could be THIS negligent. If they were, make 'em pay, but...

[Katherine Brengle]

109. As far as I can tell in this particular situation, the information would

not have been available even if consumers requested it. However, I have to admit that I am really not all that interested in the story--I just quit McD's altogether and that's it for me.

I agree with you that IF the information was available by request, the lawsuits should be invalidated. If you buy a box of cereal at the supermarket and don't bother reading the ingredient list and then you have an allergic reaction to an ingredient that IS listed on the box, you're just an idiot.

[SidDithers]

80. And if they had told you there was no coconut oil...

when actually there was, would you feel the same way?

I don't agree with the lawsuits because they will only make it more difficult for those with dietary considerations to enjoy a "normal" life. I'd hate to see all food labeled "May contain coconut oil", whether it does or doesn't, just so that the manufacturer could protect themselves against lawsuits.

Sid

[Ron Mexico]

87. No, of course not.

But after so many years of so many lawsuits and so many federal laws with so much federal oversight, do you honestly believe McDonalds deliberately lied about using legal products as an ingredient OR that the company was THAT negligent? Maybe it's just me, but I smell a rat here.

[SidDithers]

91. No, I don't believe they deliberately lied...

and I also don't agree with the lawsuits. I believe that McDonalds made the best effort to inform consumers of possible food allergens, and that we don't actually have all the details. I've read within the Celiac community that the gluten is processed out of the oil, much the same way that it is distilled out of vinegar or grain alcohols. So, while my daughter won't be going to McDonalds tonight for dinner, I'm also not going to go nuts on the PR people at McDonalds..

It's hard enough for people with dietary considerations to enjoy a "normal" life. I'm worried that companies will now label everything with a disclaimer, to protect themselves, instead of making the effort to make sure their food actully is gluten-free.

Sid

[savemefromdumbya]

89. how does milk and wheat get into fries (thought they were potato)

:evilgrin:

[Ron Mexico]

90. The same way

cocaine used to get into Coca-Cola? :)

[BushOut06]

40. I think I'm gonna head to Mickey Dees for lunch today

And maybe crank up some Denis Leary while I'm at it. Suddenly I'm in the mood for a double cheeseburger and a large fry, and some diet coke to wash it down :bounce:

Seriously, I do eat relatively healthy most of the time, and it's been quite a long time since I've ventured there. But all this talk just has me jonesing for a greasy cheeseburger and fries.

[jeffrey_X]

57. Just say no!!

Don't do it.

I've been fast food free for 3 years now. Keep fighting the good fight!!

Don't give in!

:evilgrin:

[WinkyDink]

52. I have no allergies, but I think those who do have a legit complaint.

(Can we please not call A McD's burger "greasy"? It would taste way better if it were!)

[LostinVA]

67. You are right

A "greasy" burger would at least be a real burger, and way better than a fast food burger.

[DemonGoddess]

72. I do have some food allergies,

but this, to me is frivolous. I mean for crying out loud, if you have food allergies, you stay away from certain things. I'll give you an example, oldest daughter is allergic to strawberries. Guess what? Even artificial strawberry flavoring has SOME strawberry in it to synthesize the flavor. We found out because she got sick. Did I sue? NO.

[FlaGranny]

92. Yes, but who

would have thought there was milk and wheat in french fries. Not in a million years. I NEVER, EVER would have thought to not eat french fries, from McDonald's or anywhere else, in order to avoid MILK and WHEAT. That just blows me away. That would be like finding out that olive oil had maple syrup in it.

[Rainscents]

77. Gluten allergy is serious matter, just like peanut!

It only takes trace amount to react to some people... especially children's. Gluten is in the McDonald's vegetable oil, this is what the whole issues is about.

[greenbriar]

101. I need to find out how to join the lawsuit. Hubby is extremely allergic

to wheat and may have had an episode where he was <->this close to dying and actually coded in front of a hospital because he had an allergic reaction. We had no idea it was the fries...

he knows he can't eat some fries because they coat them. But McDonalds??? NO IDEA

[DemonGoddess]

103. I understand it only takes trace amounts

that's what happened to my daughter. That trace amount of strawberry put her into anaphylactic shock.

[Debau2005]

97. Fast Food Industry Secrets

http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_100/145c_eating_well.html

[Odin2005]

104. Why would the hell milk and wheat be in fries?

French fries are just deep-fat-fried potatoes, so where is the mik and wheat products coming from? seasoning?

[Debau2005]

108. Fast Food French Fries

are processed. The potatoes are mashed in an extrusion process with lots of other things. They are then shaped into the fry shape. I don't think McD's has ever said that they are serving real fried potatoes.