Boycott McDonald's?

We've all heard that no good deed goes unpunished, and that Murphy was an optimist.

Lately, it's been reported that The Golden Arches, a/k/a McDonald's, has seen a sales increase during the economic downturn, while other iconic American hotspots (e.g.: Starbucks) are shuttering stores and laying off employees.

McDonald's success is apparently bad news for some. This past week I've received two forwarded emails, purportedly from an expert at Texas A&M University on behalf of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, urging a boycott of McD's because the chain is undercutting domestic beef producers by buying foreign (South American) raised cattle. The general tone of the email is protectionist, and it raises the spectre that unsuspecting Americans may be ingesting beef from cattle that were fed cattle/beef by-products, as well as anti-biotics and hormones, and which may be tainted by insecticides/herbicides banned in the U.S. The campaign urges customers to boycott McD's until they promise to buy only U.S. beef.

The first time I received this message, I was a little bit revulsed by the prospect of feeding cattle cattle - until I thought: "Hey, if beef is OK for me, why is it dangerous for them? As long as they're not being fed Soylent Green." I also rationalized that since I don't often eat at McD's, I couldn't very well boycott them.

The second time I got the email, it caused me to wonder what was behind the campaign. As I noted, I'm not a huge customer of theirs, but McD's has certainly built a successful business by offering consistent fare, served quickly, from store to store. So, as my blogging mentor RTB taught me, I Snopes'd the story that had been sent to me.

As it turns out, neither TAMU or the Texas Cattle Feeders have anything to do with the email. As well, McD's is not purchasing South American beef cattle. According to Snopes, most U.S. beef is grain fed (in feed lots), resulting in a higher fat content than what the chain specifies for its burgers, so they are buying Australian and New Zealand grass-fed beef to augment supplies from American producers. Such amounts are said to be in the single digit percentages of the chain's beef purchases.

So, if hunger strikes me, I won't have any problem ordering a Quarter Pounder or Big Mac, or something from the dollar menu.

I hope I don't see Jeffrey Dahmer working in the kitchen...