Mcdonalds
 

I'm sure those of you who aren't in the cattle business don't understand
> the issues here. But to those of us whose living depends on the cattle
> market, selling cattle, raising the best beef possible...This is
> frustrating.
>
> This will keep us from ever stopping there again, even for a drink.
>
> The original message is from the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association.
>
> Canadian cattle producers are very passionate about this.
>
> McDonald's claim there is not enough beef in Canada to support their
> restaurants. Well, we (ACFA) know that is not so. Our opinion is they are
> looking to save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the
> people of Canada are the ones who made McDonald's successful in the first
> place, but we are not good enough to provide the beef.
>
> We personally are no longer eating at McDonald's, which I am sure does not
> make an impact, but if we pass this around maybe there will be an informed
> impact felt.
>
> All Canadians that sell cattle at a livestock auction barn have to sign a
> paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed our cattle any part of another
> animal... South Americans are not required to do this as of yet.
>
> McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of
> their beef from South America . The problem is that South Americans
> aren't under the same regulations as Canadian beef producers, and the
> regulations they have are loosely controlled.
>
> They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned
> here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use
> various hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The Canadian public
> needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves
> at risk from now on by eating at McDonald's.
>
> Canadian ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is
> what Canadians deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is
> loosely controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald's until
> they see the light.
>
> For me, everything is not always about the bottom line when it comes to
> jeopardizing my family's health, that is where I draw the line.
>

> Larry Latam
> Sylvia Van Oene R.N.
> Occupational Health Services (HSD)
> XL Foods Inc.
> Lakeside Packers Brooks , AB.
>

This letter seems to have been in circulation a long time.

Couple links for you to ponder..

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/bus...eef_canada.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/bus...nalds_beef.htm

Almost verbatim letter but one says "Canada" and the other "U.S.".

Snopes.com page including a response from McDonalds ..

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/mcdbeef.asp

How about boycott them because that ****e will kill you?? :razz:

I'm with you on this. I (except on rare occasions) refuse to eat at McDonald's. In fact I refuse almost all American meat as well. I'm not down with the American style of ranching (anyone who's been to a CAFO will agree with me).

My girlfriend and I are heavily involved in the issue of food production; my big beef with the whole food system is ...well... beef (sorry for the pun... just kinda happened). Every day I'm blown away how people (primarily the States) farm cattle and that people continue to eat it. Apparently people don't realize a supermarket steak and a cow are one and the same, and the phrase "you are what you eat" has slipped the minds of the public these days.

I'll only eat our (Canadian) cattle that have been raised to high standards (as most of our cattle are). I've gone so far as to know my rancher personally and to know his cows (He even lets me name my cows). If 16 cows on 160 acres isn't pasture-raised and grass-fed, I don't know what is! And I am happy there are many in Canada who raise their cattle to such standards.

I understand the frustration from a financial point of view. For the farmers who depended on McD's this sucks. But in the end I say good riddance. McD's never much cared for the quality of their product and the bottom line is all that matters to them now. This move shows that more than ever. If I was a rancher I'd refuse to sell to them just knowing that my beef went into such a low-quality product.

Well, that's my rant for the day and I'm off... Tinfoil hat on, and away!!!!


***And yes, this is a letter that has been around for a while. I got if from someone back in the summer (Facebook I think). Comments still stand!

Unless I'm severely hung over and need some greasy breakfast, I didn't need another reason to not eat there, but I'll happily add this to my list.

I stopped eating there after working there as a kid its disgusting

I never eat there,haven't stopped by one for many years..it's total crap.

Did anyone actually read this reply?? this whole thing is a hoax.... Chain email letters are not a good source of information.

Luckily My Mcdonalds has been bought out by the much classier McCafe franchise. Now I can get my Sausage Egg McMuffin with a Latte!!

It's an entertaining urban legend. I doubt the people who regularly eat the garbage Mcdonalds sells as food would stop just because the beef isn't Canadian. It's been a long time since I've had one of theiir burgers but I remember it didn't much resemble beef.

I do agree that we shouldn't have to go outside Canada for fresh produce unless it can't be grown/raised here for a reasonable price.

i think im gonna go get some right now :)

Yeah that hoax has been around for years. It comes back every year or so with a slight modification. All Canadian McDonalds serve 100% Canadian beef. I would much rather eat at McDonalds then some other fast food places. Their recent smoothie additions are great. :-)

I worked there for awhile as kid, sadly that was more years ago than I would like to admit, but the buns were from an Edmonton commercial bakery, fresh eggs from local lilydale, 100% canadian beef patties that were no different from anything at the supermarket in the frozen section and I currently know a number of farmers who have contracts to provide potatoes for the fries. McDonald's didn't become the largest food franchise on the planet by handing out bad food. People will always be jealous of successful companies and try to undermine them by spreading false rumors and lies. It's not just McDonald's, you can find all kinds of stories on just about any large successful corporations.

Exactly. This was posted because it's funny this is still going around. Whats even funnier is that they sell versions of "latte's & smoothies". We like to make our own, (almost everything, all the time) so we have a better idea of what we're getting.:lol:

comming from a family of cattle ranchers, we would call 16 cows on 160 acres a waist of land. if your 160 acres can only feed 16 cows, then you bought very very pour producing land and you might as well give up as your paying more in land tax than its worth. on the flip side, if you can convince some customers to pay 3 times more for your cattle by saying that there better with these numbers then you might be able to make some money.

but ya, generly Canadian beef is the best you can get, and if you want to go another step further, alberta AAA is about the best in the world, and yes there is a difference between alberta and the lower class stuff BC tries to pass off as good beef.

but as for McDonnalds switching to anything other than canadian beef, nope they can't due to gov regulations. they do however use american cheese slices as there is no regulation against that. But my McDonnalds days are all but over due to Five Guys Burgers and fries opening up in kamloops.

Steve

We had one open up this summer in Sherwood Park, this company really knows how to make a burger! If you want lean meat go elsewhere, if you want an awsome (fat is what provides meat with flavor) tasting burger and are willing to pay a little more you can't beat 5 Guys. Even the fries are really good, and after they put your pack of fries in the bag they throw a bunch more fries in the bag just for good measure. Bring an appetite!

BAG FRIES??? Tell me there is a franchise somewhere in the GVRD

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...171209662.html

This one is not an urban legend, they admitted it's true and have since removed the ammonium hydroxide. Enough said. A company that is willing to save a buck to do that, doesn't get my business.

This is FDA approved in the states, not Canada. The US allows a whole lot of crap to be added to their foods in the states that Canada does not and you won't know who is using what. You'll probably have to avoid any US franchises I guess. On an odd note however, I would avoid using anything that contains "edible oil products" on it. I took this to mean vegetable oil but I was at Suncor one day looking at a list of products they make and guess what was on the list....

If you think 5 guys is good, wait till you try Burger's Priest in Toronto (Yes, we do have 5 guys here, it's not even remotely comparable). ;-D It's one of the hottest burger joints around these days.

Hmm, i get macdonal'ds on a fairly regular basis... almost every school morning I get a sausage egg mcmuffin. If its very late at night, i'll get either their crispy chicken wraps or the mcdouble. But yeah I thought it was canadian beef used. Obviously the 'beef' part used is all the cuttoffs that aren't suitable for steak, ribs, or typical 'ground beef', but its still 'beef' I guess.

Trust me when say we will noy eat the crap from rotten ronnies.
I realize it helps local farmers if they can seel to this place but we my family & myself do not consider the crap from rottens to be of any quality.
However when I used to blaze alot I thought it was pretty good but then again so were 7.11 chilli dogs....
ok ok I still enjoy those 7 e dogs when I'm in the bag. Lol

LOL... you think that is bad?... You have no idea what goes on in the meat industry.... ever hear of needling?.... Do you ever wonder why cheap meat from Costco is often tender and tasty?.... Trust me, you really don't want to know. I used to work in the food industry....

McDonald's actually has some of the highest standards with quality (food supplies) and food safety. They have to, with the business they are in.... You should worry a lot more about what you buy at T&T or Costco...., and what you eat at some of the small restaurants...

actualy you know 5 guys was on Dr Oz yesterday as one of the lowest calorie burgers, and suprisingly lower fat also, you can get. about 3/4 of a big mac has. its not the amopunt of fat that makes them good but the type of beef they use, the way there cooked and the amount of toppings you can pick from.

Steve

Please educate us :)

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foo...-about-e-coli/

http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/b...afety-concerns

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642143

Allows them to buy cheaper quality meat, then needle it and inject it with salt and water to make it taster better.

Out of all the "fast" food restauraunts, I typically find McDonalds to be a little better quality than its competitors like Dairy Queen, A&W, Burger king, Wendy's, etc. I think, as Reef Pilot mentioned, they have to be. They're the biggest and most visible and any of their competitors would LOVE to bring them down for poor quality control.

As for Feedlot Beef vs. some backyard rancher who can only run 16 head on a quarter section... give me the feedlot beef any day. I've worked as a penrider in feedlots as well as a ranch hand on bigger cattle operations. The big operations (both cow/calf and feedlot) tend to take a more professional approach to raising cattle. When treatment is needed they check the estimated ship date of the animal against any drug withdrawl guidelines to make sure they use the appropriate and legal drugs for the individual animals situation. Like McDonalds, it's because they have to. There is too much at stake (steak!) for them to take shortcuts and risk getting shut down. Small backyard and hobby farmers don't come under the same scrutiny, don't have the same knowledge and experience, and quite often don't care. I've seen hobby farmers using drugs and hormones on their animals with zero consideration about withdrawl times or recommended doses. Makes my skin crawl.

Yikes - does anybody still eat McDonald's burgers? That's some gross sh*t

I read a bit of this until I saw the snopes links start flying lol. Sounds about right.

I love my nasty McDonalds food :mrgreen:

Actually, a very good family friend is best friends with the president of a Alberta Cattle Assoc... I talked with him once, and he stated that Costco is one of the best places for consumers to get top quality beef.

I am not sure your point about Costco is valid... Just wondering, you use to work for Costco? However I can tell you I got my comments from one of the big guys in the industry.

Costco isn't cheaper in price, but you get higher grade and better cuts compared to places like safeway (local grocery stores). I myself enjoy a good cut of beef (love my striploin), and do buy from Costco.

Please note: my previous post in no way is meant to flame anyone, however I do wish to comment that we should keep our comments to relevant information, as I do think it is way to easy to be negative about business/companies with information that has no basis.

I think if anyone wishes to make a claim, bash, or negatively promote any business, they would hopefully be able to substantiate their comments with valid and relevant facts.

yup, this is true. once again the post you were replying to was posting USA related articles and this is the biggest cause of confusion as the Canadian regulations are way different that US regulations, and the fact most of the articles are older befor the increased regs in the US. Costco Canada uses AAA canadian beef.

as for the feedlot, vs ranch, vs hobby farmer. 99% of beef you used to buy in the stores has spent time at a feed lot, although this has been changing over the last 20 years to a lower percentage, the majority is feed lot cattle. I used to work in a feed lot as a summer job when I was younger and I worked on the family ranch(es) (out of my 10 aunts and uncles 7 of them are still ranchers)

feed lots are not where the cattle grow up, but a stopping point befor getting shipped to the slaughter house. normaly the cattle spend less than a month there, at most if the market is slow 3 months. now in a real bad year maybe a bit longer waiting for the price of beef to rise so they can make a profit. think of them as a holding point till there is enough to make shipping reasonable or till the numbers are sufficient to fill orders.

hobby farmers who run insanly low populations of cattle per acre, usaly justify there proces with value added services. for eg. they have higher prices but throw in cutting, wrapping and delivery, or custom cutting. maybe curing/smoking, sausage ect. or only sell to small butcher shops.


Steve

Well, Costco sells a lot of meat, and I am sure your friend would defend them. But you should ask him, if any Costco meat is needled and/or injected. Or ask the meat manager at your Costco. It is not such a big secret anymore. It is my understanding that they were the first in Canada to sell needled meat, although others now do it, too.

Costco, Safeway, etc, buy all kinds of meat (and different grades), and mostly from the same sources. It's what happens in the meat plant and how it is packaged and sold as that matters most. I already gave you some sources that explains that further, and you can google more for yourself if you wish.

I am also not saying there is anything illegal or unsafe about it. Our CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) is probably the most strict and thorough in the world (certainly better than the US). It is just that consumers are not always aware of what they are buying at the meat counter. Cheap is not necessarily better. And Costco is certainly cheaper than Safeway, in BC at least, and likely in Alberta, too.

At the risk of opening up another related controversy, meat repackaging and redating is another not so uncommon practice with some stores. You won't get any to admit that, of course. But there have been a few big exposes by the media with hidden cameras, etc, on some well known large chains. Again, it is not necessarily illegal, as long as the meat is not tainted. It is usually very much against the policy of the chain, but there are individual meat mangers who might do it (to get their bonuses, or not get fired for missing their plans with sales and shrinkage) and a blind eye might be turned to that from time to time.

And no, I have never worked for Costco.

And yes, sorry, we are off topic. I will say again, then, that McDonald's has very high food quality and food safety standards. And no, I didn't work for them either.

And before anyone asks for some backup to that, here is one news story. And I know there have been others, but you can google for them yourself.
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

Enough of this now,.... I think I should just stick to reefing topics....

I actually just called Costco, and YES... They do have a special needler machine for tenderizing. At least they don't hide that fact, and I guess needling is quite common now, unless you deal with a smaller butcher. But maybe they also perform this practice also. I just don't know.

No biggie, but you learn something everyday. Costco, IMO still has the best grades (AAA+) at comparable pricing to others at AA grade or lower. I have never gotten a bad piece of any meat from them (chicken, pork or beef).

In regards to date changing or repackaging, as you stated not illegal... But IMO just unethical. Not to keep promoting Costco, but another benefit is that they rotate stock so fast, they don't need to do that. Another bonus I guess.

And yes, I eat on occasion at MickeyD's, ChezRonaldo's, Wendy's Wet and Juicy (HEHE :lol:), not often, but give the kids the odd treat. The real issue I guess with today's lifestyle or eating habits, is try to make a burger for $1.39 (McD's McDouble, or Jr. Chicken)... Sorry, sometimes it is easier, quicker and cheaper to go fast food, than cook your own fast food.

Name a Cow? then eat that cow...that could be bonding..
Sorry couldnt hold it LOL....

:deadhorse:

As long as you dont buy it gifts and dress it up seasonally...

And to be clear, I am not knocking Costco either. I was just making the point, that most people are not really aware of many of the tricks of the trade when they buy their meat. Meat "gluing" is not the only practice that might surprise some people.

Actually, I have the highest respect for Costco as a retailer and business. Sad to say, but IMO they are much better run than most large Cdn retailers. And you're right about high turnover on their inventory. That does often mean better food quality at the counter.

And same with McDonald's. You don't become the best stock performer on the Big Board (Dow Jones), without doing a lot of things right. They are truly a first class business.
http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au...011-23731.html

I really should stop now... But if you knew how chickens were raised and sold, you might think twice about eating them. The best way to find out is if you know someone in the Fraser Valley that has a large chicken farm, and get him to take you on a tour. And ask him how long a chicken goes from hatching to being sold to the meat plant. And what and how they feed them to make that happen.

Chickens, actually I do... That is real disgusting, disturbing, and for many it may turn them off eating them also (as you stated). So you are right, lets not go there.

I've been eating at McDs all my life and my body seems to be holding it together.. :lol: