New Zealand McDonalds To Start Using Free Range Eggs.

Yes, you read the heading correctly.  The McDonalds restaurants (there’s 164 of them) through out New Zealand are going to be switching to free range eggs.

Is this a step in the right direction?  I believe it is.  For as much as I am not a fan of McDonalds (for a variety of reasons), you have to admit they are really trying to lift their image…..well, in New Zealand anyway.

This is going to start by the end of this year with all outlets on board by next year (2016).  Why so long to wait?  This is due to the fact that the free range egg farmers will have to invest quite a lot to increase production in order to supply the chain.

 

 

This is the Free Range we all believe

This is also classified as "Free Range"

I spoke to SAFE (N.Z. animal welfare) to make sure that McDonalds were, in fact, going to use actual free range - you know, the chickens running around outside (top picture), and not barn chickens with the door open (above).

Yes, indeed, true free range …. well done!

Now, the New Zealand government has said that all caged eggs must be replaced by Colony, Barn or Free Range by 2022.  Well, it would probably only take one more chain e.g. Burger King, to follow suit for the free range market to give the others a run for their money and perhaps we could even see the supermarket choices being either Free Range or Barn …. not a cage in sight.

If that happened, then McDonald’s should rightfully be given the kudos.

But, for now, for whatever reason McDonalds have done this (and there’ll be a dollar in it for them), at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Goodness, never thought I’d ever write the words “McDonalds” and “kudos” in the same sentence!!!!  

McDonalds Sponsored What?

Today I read that a weekend conference for Nutritionists held in California had, as their main sponsor, McDonalds.

Yes, you read that right.  What on earth is McDonalds doing at a Nutrition conference???

It appears that they were promoting their "healthy menu" by being the only provider of lunches ..... which, as far as I'm concerned, is no more "healthy" than their regular meals.

To quote from the article:

"One peered into a plastic bowl containing a salad of lettuce, bacon, chicken, cheese, and ranch dressing. The other arranged two chocolate chip cookies and a yogurt parfait on a napkin. "Eww," she said, gingerly stirring the layers of yogurt and pink strawberry goop. The woman with the salad nodded in agreement, poking at a wan chicken strip with her plastic fork."

Sounds disgusting.

McDonalds wasn't the only sponsor, oh no, Hersheys, Butter Buds, Sizzler and California Pizza Kitchen were also there touting their wares.  Even the California Beef Council were giving out pamphlets on how to lose weight by eating steak.

All of this is just so wrong.  But unfortunately, we live in a society where those who have the money also have the power and to put on a large conference it takes money.  It's such a shame that those who organized this event perhaps had no other alternative but to get sponsorship from the least nutritional companies they could find.  

I don't believe they should have even considered doing such a thing as, in my mind, it just makes the word "nutritionist" a complete farce.

Sustainable Beef .... What???

McDonalds announced  a few days ago that it is going to shift to sustainable beef  source Grist.  Now this rather perplexed me .... sustainable beef?  It's the word "sustainable" that gets me - defined:

"able to be maintained at a certain rate or level" "able to be upheld or defended" - Mmmm, neither of those seem to gel if you put the word beef or McDonalds in the same sentence.

So I googled "sustainable beef" and lo and behold there is a website devoted to ..... www.sustainablebeef.org  "Our focus is on filling information gaps about how beef technologies and sustainable beef-raising practices help produce safe, wholesome, affordable food while using fewer natural resources."   But what gets me is the bit "produce safe, wholesome, affordable food while using fewer natural resources" ....  fewer natural resources?????

McDonald's is pretty clear that it doesn't want to create the standard.  "Sustainable beef is not going to be defined by McDonald's." said Bob Langert (McD's vice president of global sustainability ... yup, they have one of those, whew, makes them look good doesn't it!!!!).  He went on to say "The key here is to get sustainable beef defined by a wide stakeholder group and coalition.  We needed a bigger critical mass." 

Now I wonder why that would be ..... pretty obvious that they don't want their name attached to the definition, I mean, it's got to look like it's a proper, kosher, real thing done by an independent party - a real coup would be WWF or PETA making the definition then McD's would get the kudos for following the beef sustainability guidelines ...... keep up with me here, I have a point. 

And my point is.  I don't care how "sustainable" or how "humane" or how "natural" beef is farmed - they are still farmed in huge quantities, unnaturally, slaughtered and made into foods we do not need for either our health or the environment.

I know I'm picking on McDonalds, unfortunately, they're the company who are really worried about how their profits will decline with the increase of food awareness that is happening, so they are the ones who are coming out with the grandiose ideas, which, if they pay off, other companies will also adopt.

I wonder if there's a chance that McDonalds would go totally vegan ..... nah, I'm just being silly now.

Have Happy Animal Friends

Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com