Criticism of McDonald's

The American restaurant chain McDonald's has been criticised for numerous aspects of its business, including the health effects of its products, its treatment of employees, the environmental impact of its operations, and other business practices.

Food

In the late 1980s, Phil Sokolof, a millionaire businessman who had suffered a heart attack at the age of 43, took out full-page newspaper ads in New York, Chicago, and other large cities accusing McDonald's menu of being a threat to American health, and asking them to stop using beef tallow to cook their french fries.[1]

In 1990, activists from a small group known as London Greenpeace (no connection to the international group Greenpeace) distributed leaflets entitled What's wrong with McDonald's?, criticizing its environmental, health, and labor record. The corporation wrote to the group demanding they desist and apologize, and, when two of the activists refused to back down, sued them for libel leading to the "McLibel case", one of the longest cases in English civil law. A documentary film of the McLibel Trial has been shown in several countries.[2]

In 2001, Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation included criticism of the business practices of McDonald's. Among the critiques were allegations that McDonald's (along with other companies within the fast food industry) uses its political influence to increase its profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers. The book also brought into question McDonald's advertisement techniques in which it targets children. While the book did mention other fast-food chains, it focused primarily on McDonald's.[3]

In 2002, vegetarian groups, largely Hindu and Buddhist, successfully sued McDonald's for misrepresenting its French fries as vegetarian, when they contained beef broth.[4] In the same year, Spanish band Ska-P released a song titled "McDollar" in their album ¡¡Que Corra La Voz!! criticizing McDonald's.

Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film Super Size Me claimed that McDonald's food was contributing to the increase of obesity in society and that the company was failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers. Six weeks after the film premiered, McDonald's announced that it was eliminating the super size option, and was creating the adult Happy Meal. A counter-documentary called Fat Head purported to point out inconsistencies in Super Size Me.

Corporate practices

Though the company objected, the term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in 2003.[12] The term was defined as "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement".[13] Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary also contains the word "McMansion", a critical, pejorative term used to describe an overly large, ostentatious, sometimes poorly designed or constructed house, often found in a suburb or in new developments on traditionally rural land. McMansions are often built in multiples that are difficult to distinguish from one another, like assembly-line factory parts or fast-food hamburgers.[14][15]

In 2006, an unsanctioned McDonald's Video Game by Italian group Molleindustria was released online. It is a parody of the business practices of the corporate giant, taking the guise of a tycoon style business simulation game. In the game, the player plays the role of a McDonald's CEO, choosing whether or not to use controversial practices like genetically altered cow feed, plowing over rainforests, and corrupting public officials.

Environmental record

Since McDonald's began receiving criticism for its environmental practices in the 1970s, it has significantly reduced its use of materials.[27] For instance, an "average meal" in the 1970s—a Big Mac, fries, and a drink—required 46 g of packaging; today, it requires 25 g, a 46 percent reduction.[28] In addition, McDonald's eliminated the need for intermediate containers for cola by using a delivery system that pumps syrup directly from the delivery truck into storage containers, saving 2000000 lb of packaging annually.[29] Weight reductions in packaging and products, as well as increased usage of bulk packaging, ultimately decreased packaging by 24000000 lb annually.[30] McDonald's efforts to reduce solid waste by using less packaging and by promoting the use of recycled materials were recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.[31]

In April 2008, McDonald's announced that 11 of its restaurants in

Controversy in Israeli-Palestinian conflict

During the Gaza war, amidst the Israeli blockade of supplies in Gaza, McDonald's in Israel was condemned after giving free food to the Israel Defense Forces who were accused of committing war crimes against Palestinians.[50][51][52][53] The hashtag #BoycottMcDonalds gained worldwide traction on social media.[54] There were also large gathering outside restaurants in Lebanon and Egypt protesting the move. McDonalds in other countries like Turkey and Pakistan, distanced themselves from the Israeli brand.[55]

Legal cases

McDonald's has been involved in a number of lawsuits and other legal cases, most of which involved trademark disputes. The company has threatened many food businesses with legal action unless it drops the Mc or Mac from trading names.

See also

• Criticism of Starbucks
• Criticism of Tesco