McDonald's Dumps McMuffin Egg Factory Over Health Concerns

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

McDonald's will be looking for a new source of eggs for many of its hugely popular Egg McMuffins.

The fast food company says it "will no longer accept" eggs from one of the country's biggest egg companies, Sparboe Farms, that is the subject of an ABC News investigation to be broadcast Friday on "20/20" and "World News with Diane Sawyer" and was cited Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration for "significant…and serious violations" in the production of eggs.

In one of the most forceful enforcement actions since last year's salmonella egg outbreak, the FDA issued a company-wide warning letter to Sparboe Farms, the country's fifth largest egg producer.

Citing "serious" and "significant violations" at five different locations, the FDA cited at least 13 violations of the recently enacted federal egg rule meant to prevent dangerous salmonella outbreaks.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mcdonalds-dumps-mcmuffin-egg-factory-health-concerns/story?id=14976054

[GodlessBiker]

1. I guess they'll have to go back to their other source for eggs, a plastics factory.

[AMaharaj]

22. Horrifying

This is horrifying and it's also pretty much standard and legal. Over 95% of eggs produced in the U.S. come from hens confined in tiny cages in which they're unable to even stretch their wings. The least we can do is ditch eggs from our diets. More info at MeatVideo.com.

There has always been so many health issues relating to the food served at McDonald's. I can't really understand how they can say that they are proud to serve quality food to consumers when their food is so illy prepared and the industry obviously doesn't care enough to do their own undercover investigations into the facilities where they get their eggs from. Firing employers won't change the problem. The problem is the industry itself and the lack of policies associated with the meat industry. What was captured during the under cover investigation was all legal. No one person was arrested or charged for allowing these practices. Most fast food places like McDonald's simply care about profit. As a society who claims to be morally just, we cannot allow these conditions to exists. It is equally disturbing to not that this particular instance is only focusing on he health aspect when it is so clearly seen that the animals being recorded are being tormented and abused. It is simply appalling and not okay...

[freshwest]

25. I appreciate your post, it's best to get eggs from people you trust. Welcome to DU.

[alp227]

30. yeah, how's that free market working out for our animals?

Maybe if more people understood the consequences of factory farming despite the meat industry's megaphone and corporate welfare ("government subsidy" is too nice) scrubbing that info then there wouldn't be as much DEMAND for mass produced meat as there is now. Demand drives the expansion of a product, remember that. If more people could afford to eat healthy, then healthy restaurants would be as commonplace as fast food joints are now.

[TheMadMonk]

33. The problem is that YOU, ME, and that suspicious stranger over there...

...refuse to pay fair value for a fast food meal.

Fooking stoopid thing is, a burger with the lot (plus a can of soft drink) from an actual proper burger joint costs less than a "meal deal" and is nutritionally better in every way but one, (a real burger contains more calories and less sawdust derived filler).

You want fries with that? Buy a bloody deep fryer, load it with proper animal fat dripping and have a real fucking treat. The BCBs (burnt crunch bits) are a bonus that kicks in as the dripping ages past the 30 day mark.

You want your food within 60 seconds of receiving your change? Please stand in front of that brick wall over there, ignore the bullet pockmarks.

Oh, also, most eggs come from battery chickens because the average neighbour has a real problem with backyard chooks. And I have to side with them, since the average suburban fowl keeper, more often than not, supports a large population of rats, in addition to his birds.

AND more AND more AND more.

YOU/WE (collectively) have the Colonel, the Clown, and the squared off, tiled imitation of a cockel hat, because YOU/WE (collectively) are too fucking lazy to wait the 5-10 minutes it takes for someone else to prepare an actual halfway decent meal, let alone take the time to do it properly ourselves.

[Kurmudgeon]

2. Feeling a little quesy after watching that.

[coffeenap]

3. McDonalds in Britain uses free range, locally produced eggs

and organic milk. Apparently they had the three most profitable years after adopting these practices. The dear ole USA, that is we, need to demand these standards so we too can enjoy that all-important fast food lifestyle (because it just isn't gonna disappear) while supporting healthy agricultural production. Everyone, including all the planet's inhabitants, wins.

[thesquanderer]

8. may not be viable in the U.S. yet

I don't think there are enough sources of organic mlik, free range, etc. in the U.S. to supply the quantity McDonald's needs.

Here's an article about how Burger King has been moving toward humane production, but is constrained by availability, and yes, price, though supply-and-demand means the two are somewhat related...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/business/worldbusiness/28iht-burger.1.5056443.html

[ccavagnolo]

14. This is partially true.

They offer it in bottles but they dont use it in their meals.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/food/drinks-and-shakes/organic-milk.mcdj

[harmonicon]

21. I'd never had an egg mcmuffin before I moved to the UK.

I'd always get the sausage biscuit in the US, but they don't have biscuits here, so I tried the egg mcmuffin instead - it's awesome. I wondered why I never had it before, but maybe they're worse in the US... which would be a bit of a surprise, because the burgers are definitely better there.

[alp227]

31. does the UK have as much agriwelfare as the US?

[Javaman]

4. Yeah, I guess the plastic lost it's "flavor". nt

[Plucketeer]

6. We can make light of this - if we choose not to eat there

But there's alot of folks FORCED to eat there thanks to the economic realities of our time. The thing that I see in this story is how everything would be JUST FINE .... if them damned Guvamint Regulators would butt out! You know - the regulators the whole gang of White House wanna-bees are talking about ditching.

[RamboLiberal]

7. And FDA did squat till it was filmed by animal rights activists

[Javaman]

9. +1 nt

[Javaman]

11. The FDA is so grossly underfunded, as is the USDA, that inspections of

any processing facilities, dairy facilities, manufacturing plants, cattle yards, etc, in the US, are so far behind, it would take years to catch up.

you can thank the repukes for that. It's part of phil gramm's legacy.

however, corporations such as piligrims pride, who raise their chickens in cramped dark environments have a very long list of health violations, which generally get over looked, or thrown out of court due to their enormous lobby. On top of that, they employ the walmart tactic of enticing small farms with big profits, then crush them when they demand more at lower prices. Being a chicken farmer, in general is a hard life, but it has turned into industrial slavery by the likes of the gigantic poultry corporations.

and on top of that, mcdonald's only feeds into this corporate greed by having enormous contracts with corporations like pilgrims pride. it's nothing more than perpetuating the a systemic problem in our society. Do you honestly believe that mcd's is really providing a service to the poor by feeding them this horseshit? Frankly, I think that is insulting to the poor. mcd's knowing passes off questionable food to people whom they know they have a captured audience due to economic hardship. mcd's is nothing more than a vulture feeding off the poor.

[Plucketeer]

29. Well, you've made my case for a REAL FDA

And anything less than the pitiful one we've got, is just more insult to injury. And BTW, I've worked in a turkey processing plant. I've SEEN what goes on in there.

As to McDs being an angel for the hungry? Please! But the hard reality is that alot of folks dine there because they offer something to fill one's aching belly at a cheap price. And many dine there because they don't have a home to have a refridgerator or other amenities in. So since McD's evil, possibly you can offer REAL options where one can buy a fresh, free range olive-oil fried egg with premium soy sausage and soy cheddar on an environmentally sensitive produced, non-GE whole wheat muffin at the price of two for a buck? Truth is - reality bites.

[Javaman]

37. true. a full belly does trump the alternative. nt

[Psephos]

34. No one is forced to eat at McDonalds.

Eating there is considerably more expensive than DIY.

Meanwhile, I'm thankful for the regulators doing their jobs.

[Javaman]

38. well, yes and no...

it's more expensive in the long run health wise for sure, but if you can get a mystery burger at mcd's for a buck, it's hard to beat that by cooking at home.

to me, eating at mcd's is like eating sawdust. It might fill you stomach now, but later it will certainly pay you back.

[Psephos]

39. I can make 4 quarter-pound lb turkey burgers for $3

That includes bun, spinach, and tomato.

They weigh double the dollar pucks at McD's.

They taste infinitely better. They're actually good for you.

No one buys a dollar puck at McD's and leaves. You drop a fiver or you don't even go in.

[pipoman]

40. McDonalds $1 burger is almost 9 (8.8) burgers to a pound

If one buys good quality burger at $4/lb, the burger would cost $.45 (the hamburger McDonalds uses is more like $2/lb). A bun for $.25 and the same (actually better) burger a home costs $.70.

[1776Forever]

5. This is so darn important and I think some people are naive to think the corporations who feed us

are looking out for the consumer - not! What we eat and what we give our children and grand-children to eat does matter. I have noticed a lot of candy including most of Hershey Chocolates and Brach's being made now in Mexico and although I am not against the Mexican people bringing their standard of living up I do question some of our food manufactures going there. Some other things made there are Ritz Crackers and some Kellogg's cereal including Special K, and Fig Newton Bars. I just don't think we need to take our food out of this country to be manufactured and also think we need to watch ALL these companies closer in the US and in other countries if that is even possible.

[AlbertCat]

16. the corporations who feed us are looking out for the consumer

Hell... Halliburton fed our troops in Iraq food way past it expiration date!

[1776Forever]

26. Yes and contaminated water too - Some people have no idea what has been happening! n/t

[jpak]

10. Well at least it's not Jack DeCoster this time

:D

[Critters2]

36. Sparboe's not much better. I used to live 6 miles north of a Sparboe

megafactory. Slightly better than DeCoster (who was 6 miles in the other direction), but only slightly.

[valerief]

12. McDonald's probably demands a very low price for eggs and the egg producers

probably have to go to extraordinary (and unsafe) measures to meet that price.

Both are guilty of poisoning America. And their government with its lack of oversight.

It's been decades since I've eaten anything at McDonald's.

[ccavagnolo]

13. Start with the youth!

My girlfriend and I have been working at local brooklyn and nyc farms where they offer classes and tutorials for both parents and children alike. They give them public space to create their own gardens and then consume their fruits and vegetables. Not only does it allow for an amazing bonding experience but it allows for so many of these kids who are mostly living in cramped apartments to experience the natural world without paying for an expensive train ticket out of the city. We need a much greater emphasis on this hands on education where children can directly view the process of food growth.

I actually watched Brubakar the other day where a new warden enters a prison and implements a new process of eating the produce the inmates grow. The same could and is being done at schools. As well, i think educating the youth on where their meat comes from needs to be done, however disgusting and vile the imagery is, i dont think anyone should be blind to what enters their body and ultimately the practices they are supporting. ultimately

[geomon666]

15. They used eggs?

Huh, learn something new every day.

[DaveJ]

17. This shows that 1%ers are often complete idiots

How is it whoever runs this farm/factory thought they wouldn't be shut down? Maybe it was this guy running things.

[slackmaster]

18. I thought eggs came from chickens

:hide:

[benld74]

19. They went into defense mode, and fired the 4 workers who helped!

http://www.sparboeupdate.com/letter-from-beth-schnell/

[DaveJ]

20. That statement is such bs. It doesn't even address the FDA violations. nt

[louis-t]

23. Problem is, FDA can only go after the biggest offenders.

If repugs have their way, there will be no FDA to go after anyone. We will be like China where the rich have their own farms (surrounding by razor wire) to produce their food, and the rest of us will eat crap.

[1776Forever]

27. Boy are you so right! I think that is exactly what is going on now. Their private chefs I am sure

don't stop at McDonald's for anyting! They could care less!

[SoapBox]

24. The World would be better off if we just DUMPED McDonalds.

...it's crap anyway and has enough sodium in everything to make people swell up like a blimp.

[DreamSmoker]

28. Taking the high road

Hats off to ABC News and McDonald's...
Taking the high road on this was a major decision made by McDonald's..
If more Corporations had this attitude??
Corporate America would be in another place today..
ON TOP...
There are no substitutes for doing things RIGHT...

[Dover]

32. Let's not stop here FDA. Let's open the doors of ALL the major chicken factories in the U.S.

I feel confident they could run this same story and just change the name of the factory.

This is why large centralized food/ag businesses are so bad animals and people alike.

Raise your own chickens if you can.

[unionworks]

35. Ba Da Da Da Da

..."I'm lovin it"

[pipoman]

41. I serve 1/3 lb burgers and a side for $6.99

I only buy Creekstone 81/19 angus hamburger and serve on a homemade bun. We cook our burgers on a wood burning charbroiler. It isn't as fast as McD's, but is 1000 times better.

I love Creekstone. They are the company who sued the USDA after being denied a request to be allowed to test every animal they process for mad cow. They lost and are not allowed to certify their beef 'mad cow free', but he fact this small processor tried to fight big meat is a testament to their commitment to quality.

Edit..I serve only pasteurized shell eggs, they cost 50% more, but the safety factor is worth it to me and my customers.