The McRib Is Going Extinct

McRib, McDonald’s mechanically restructured pork “rib,” is seasonal, just like the flu. It’s back, but McD’s says this will be a farewell tour.

Maybe there are supply chain problems with the sandwich’s many non-pork components, like: ammonium sulfate, polysorbate 80, sodium benzoate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oils, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, soy flour, sodium stearoyl lactylate, ascorbic acid, mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, monocalcium phosphate, calcium peroxide, calcium propionate,high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum, and sodium benzoate. And let’s not forget azodicarbonamide, used to make yoga mats.

Nota Bene: The farewell tour kicks off on Halloween, so it may be more “trick” than “treat.” The McRib may rise from the dead like the zombie meat it is in years to come.

More:

“McDonald’s McRib coming back for a ‘farewell tour,'” Kelly Tyko, Axios

__________________
Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-CpS

Image (“How McRibs Are Made”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

 

Lawsuit: False, Fattened Burger Advertising

A new federal class action lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York alleges that Wendy’s and McDonald’s advertising exaggerates the size of their beef patties. The claims: McDonald’s ads use undercooked patties to make them look bigger, and Wendy’s ads pile toppings on their burgers so they look 15 percent to 20 percent larger than they really are.

Is it “food styling” or falsehood? Let the court decide. Don’t expect a fast fast-food decision, though.

More:

“McDonald’s, Wendy’s accused of beefing up burgers in ads,” María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post

“This is the photographic evidence presented in a lawsuit over fast-food burger sizes,” Michelle Cheng and Amanda Shendruk, Quartz

______________________
Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-z6d

Image (“Pharaoh Seti I Offering a Burger to the Gods”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

McRib. Repeat: McRib.

The McRib is back. It’s a seasonal plague, like the flu.

Often mistaken for an innocent sandwich, the McR is composed of “Restructured Meat” made from pulverized and re-glued pig innards, ammonium sulfate, polysorbate 80, sodium benzoate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oils, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate, soy flour, sodium stearoyl lactylate, ascorbic acid, mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, monocalcium phosphate, calcium peroxide, calcium propionate,high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gum, and sodium benzoate. And let’s not forget azodicarbonamide, used to make yoga mats.

Want to see what it looks like before it’s covered in sauce? Sure? Okay then, look here.

_____________
Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-wjc

Video from Weird History.

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

 

World’s smallest McDonald’s. It’s for bees.

There’s a McDonald’s restaurant in Sweden that serves thousands every day — thousands of bees. The tiny apian eater, designed and built by award winning set designer Nicklas Nilsson, was purchased by a McD franchisee in Sweden at a charity auction. Several Swedish McDonald’s restaurants have rooftop beehives and bee-friendly landscaping.

More:

“McDonald’s just opened a tiny restaurant for bees — here’s what it’s like inside,” Meredith Cash, Business Insider

_____________
Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-tau

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Mickey D’s Durian McFlurry. Yum!

Durian, the notoriously stinky fruit of the Pacific, is featured at McDonald’s in Malaysia and Singapore in a McFlurry concoction. It’s made with the milder D24 durian, but even so, that’s no pumpkin spice latte. McD’s offers localized menus in many parts of it’s global empire. See ads for more far-flung fast food treats here.

____________

Short link: https://wp.me/p6sb6-sdm

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

Kim Jong-un Loves Burgers

North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un reportedly wants a McDonald’s in Pyongyang. Guess he’s preparing for a Korean visit from U.S. Supreme Leader Donald Trump. In the meantime, you can get a burger at Pyongyang’s Munsu Water Park, but it will cost you $76. You want fries with that?

Actually, Kim Jong-un is said to fly in Big Macs from China for his own consumption, and the few ordinary North Koreans who have $2 to spare can get hamburger-like objects at Samtaesong Cooling Beverages in Pyongyang.

Scary Clowns!

“McDonald’s and franchisees in the local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events for the time being.” McDonald’s spokeswoman Terri Hickey.

More:

“Creepy Clown Craze Claims New Victim: Ronald McDonald,” Juan Anguiano and Corky Siemaszko, NBC News

“Ronald McDonald lying low until clown scare blows over,” Katie Mettler, Washington Post

Robbers Hit a French McDonald’s While the SWaT Team Eats Dinner

A couple of guys walked into a McDonald’s in Besançon, France on Sunday evening, but they didn’t come for the Boeuf Ranch Moutarde or Croque McDo. They robbed the joint at gunpoint. Among the 40 diners, however, were 11 off-duty members of Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale or GIGN (these guys), crack anti-terrorism police. As the desperadoes made off with about $2,000 in cash, one of them tripped and was disarmed by GIGN, who shot the other guy outside McDo’s when he didn’t drop his weapon. No diners or pommes frites were harmed during the take-down, and the injured burger bandit will recover.

More:

“Armed robbers thwarted trying to hold up McDonald’s where 11 special forces officers happened to be eating dinner,” Henry Samuel, The Telegraph

___________

Short link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-nYP

Image (“McDo et Chat”) by Mike Licht Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine

The Golden McNugget of Japan

The culture of Japan, full of mystery. The Tea Ceremony. Zen Buddhism. Hello Kitty. And now an 18-karat gold Chicken McNugget.

To mark introduction of two new dipping sauces, Fruit Curry and Creamy Cheese, McDonald’s Japan is giving away a solid-gold Chicken McNugget weighing 50 grams (1.8 ounces), worth about $1500. Clues are being dropped on Twitter.

More:

“McDonald’s Japan Is Giving Away a Gold Chicken Nugget,” Elizabeth Licata, The Daily Meal

McDonald’s in China: Great Leap Forward

McDonald’s plans to open 1,250 new restaurants in China over the next five years. The burger monger already has 2,200 outlets in the People’s Republic. China will be the fast food chain’s second-largest market after the USA. And Americans can’t get McD’s Corn Cup or Taro Pie.

More:

“McDonald’s to open 1,250 new China outlets,” BBC News

___________________

Short Link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-nwh

Image (“Glorious Joint Venture Feeds the Masses”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine