http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6187234.stm

This article basically pulls apart the myth about the label 'Junk food' and what it stands for.

We can all choose to buy 'Junk food' in just about every supermarket on every street corner in the land. And there is no dispute about the low quality of the food in most small takeaways, and that a similar level of quality also applies to many owner managed restaurants of the same/similar origins (i.e. Indian, Chinese etc.). And now the so called 'upper class' restaurants come into question over the contents and quality of the food they serve.

But McDonalds still get such a bad name.

They don't sell any worse food than any other high street retaurants by all accounts. Their marketting is no worse than any other restaurant chain, or breakfast cereal, or toy store. The food they sell tastes as good if not better, and is at a far better price.

With this in mind, is it still fair to label McDonalds so harshly?

It is perhaps a bit unfair, they have tried to make their stuff more healthy. People still see McDonalds as junk food because everything is so perfect and processed to death, nothing seems real or natural.
Even though I don't eat at McDonalds I would rather have one of their burgers than anything from Greggs.

It is perhaps a bit unfair, they have tried to make their stuff more healthy. People still see McDonalds as junk food because everything is so perfect and processed to death, nothing seems real or natural.
Even though I don't eat at McDonalds I would rather have one of their burgers than anything from Greggs.
or indeed Sarni's on High Street ... heart attack bap!! At least in McDonalds your clothes don't stink of fried food like they do when you've been stood in Sarni's.

I agree Mcdonalds is no worse or better than most other takeaway meals I think its just the snobby value, a burger from McDonalds is no better for you probaly than a burger from most other posher outlets.

or indeed Sarni's on High Street ... heart attack bap!! At least in McDonalds your clothes don't stink of fried food like they do when you've been stood in Sarni's.

Nooooooo !

Sarni's do realy nice home made cakes and buns (granted they arn't healthy, but cakes arn't supposed to be)

Nooooooo !

Sarni's do realy nice home made cakes and buns (granted they arn't healthy, but cakes arn't supposed to be)
Are the cakes fried?

Are the cakes fried?

Quite possibly, the flapjack does have a hint of bacon about it.

McDonalds food makes my kids mega hyper. Yet burger king doesn't :huh: Weren't mcDonalds healthy foods such as carrot sticks dipped in something to make them keep their colour or something anyway?

I love an ocasional Big Mac, kebab, fish and chips, etc but my favourite is a KFC chicken fillet burger :thumbsup: I think it's the mayo.

I also love Indian and Chinese takeaways. Thai can be good, if I'm in the mood.

But also love my home made Yorkie puds with sausage casserole, my curries and my Sikh Kebabs are pretty much the best I've ever tasted.

Everything in moderation :thumbsup:

McDonalds - a great alternative to food!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6187234.stm

This article basically pulls apart the myth about the label 'Junk food' and what it stands for.

But McDonalds still get such a bad name.
The food they sell tastes as good if not better, and is at a far better price.

With this in mind, is it still fair to label McDonalds so harshly?

I don't think the article really does anything to pull apart the label of junk food. Macdonald's is still junk fast food, in market place full of other junk food outlets. Eating Macdonald's now and again will probably not do too much damage but if eaten or a regular basis then it would be unhealthy.

For the price of a regular Maconald's meal you could probably get a 2-3 days worth of tasty healthy produce from Tesco's and you don't need to be a masterchef to cook basic food that is actually good for you.
Don't be under any illusions, just because Macdonalds now sell salads they still sell junk food.

For the price of a regular Maconald's meal you could probably get a 2-3 days worth of tasty healthy produce from Tesco's and you don't need to be a masterchef to cook basic food that is actually good for you.
Don't be under any illusions, just because Macdonalds now sell salads they still sell junk food.

Now then Tescos are just as guilty of all the crimes that macdonalds are accused of: mass production on a damaging scale, lack of respect for the environment, flying food thousands of miles, excessive packaging, not paying suppliers of food enough and producing fast food, all in the name of profit . If anything they are worse.

Why not get your healthy locally sourced produce from a local shop?

For the price of a regular Maconald's meal you could probably get a 2-3 days worth of tasty healthy produce from Tesco's and you don't need to be a masterchef to cook basic food that is actually good for you.

This is true, but how many people can be arsed to cook 3 proper meals a day, especially when they are at work for 9 hours of that day ?

It is possible, but not everybody has the time or will to do it.

the article is enough to make me think a bit but essentially Mcd's is still a soulless corporate machine dedicated to world domination and has no respect for national pride in any of the countries they are in.

the food is just pretty dreadful which is why i don't go but i don't see why their food is much worse than anyone elses

I agree Mcdonalds is no worse or better than most other takeaway meals I think its just the snobby value, a burger from McDonalds is no better for you probaly than a burger from most other posher outlets.


I agree t a certain degree, but there are some restaurants that make their own burgers fresh from lean mince, what could be more healthier than a lean mince burger, tomato, lettuce, a little low fat mayo in a wholemeal bap?!

thats what I'd call a tasty and healthy burger!!! yummy!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6187234.stm

This article basically pulls apart the myth about the label 'Junk food' and what it stands for.

We can all choose to buy 'Junk food' in just about every supermarket on every street corner in the land. And there is no dispute about the low quality of the food in most small takeaways, and that a similar level of quality also applies to many owner managed restaurants of the same/similar origins (i.e. Indian, Chinese etc.). And now the so called 'upper class' restaurants come into question over the contents and quality of the food they serve.

But McDonalds still get such a bad name.

They don't sell any worse food than any other high street retaurants by all accounts. Their marketting is no worse than any other restaurant chain, or breakfast cereal, or toy store. The food they sell tastes as good if not better, and is at a far better price.

With this in mind, is it still fair to label McDonalds so harshly?


Well my two lads in their teens now do not like Mcdonalds. They last had one six years ago and would much rather go for a pub meal us. we call them carpetburgers at Mcdonalds

They're not necessarily worse than KFC or BK, or even small take aways and some of the frozen food you find in supermarkets, but they are probably the most succesful.
I don't go to Mc Do but I don't go to any other fast food joint either, it's not that I'm scared about the food ( every now and then won't kill you), it's just that after finding out about the Mac Libel I realized that if two people like you and me- a gardener and a postman- can do so much against big companies then the least they deserve is my support.

I had my first ever mcdonalds last year in Leicester.
What can I say? It was vile.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6187234.stm

This article basically pulls apart the myth about the label 'Junk food' and what it stands for.

With this in mind, is it still fair to label McDonalds so harshly?

It tastes like s**t ?

It's only junk food if you live off the stuff. One now and then is just food. Well, kinda... ;) If I want a take away birger (which is not that aften as I'm not very fond of burgers) I go for a Big Mac as I like the gherkins and the sauce, the meat is tasty enough and they aren't greasy. What really is junk food is the stuff that the stall on The Moor serves up, blee, it stinks of lard. :gag:

If the taste was 'vile' and 's**t' as some have suggested then I doubt McDonalds would have done as well as an organisation.

Personally I like McDonalds. I didn't when I first tried it because it went against the 1970's burgers my mum used to cook, and I didn't expect it to be so different, and I didn't like it.

But that's not what I'm getting at.

The point I'm making is that McDonalds are singled out more than any other organisation as poisoning our children/the people. And this article points out that the food they serve up is no worse, and in most cases is probably better than most other food purchased in the street.

So why do Mcdonalds get such a bad deal from the public?

So why do Mcdonalds get such a bad deal from the public?

It's simply because there the most successfull fast food restuarant & everyone knows about them, McDonalds have also started doing sandwiches like Subway do now to compete for more trade.

No, it's not junk food... it's just junk :rant:

No, it's not junk food... it's just junk :rant:

may i expand for lizzie ......ahem..... :D

mcdonalds are the scum of the earth. they are a multinational company that have cropped up, like a virus, in every far-flung corner of the earth

they make high fat food of low nutritional value

they waste vast amounts of meat

they create mountains of waste cartons, carriers, rubbish that doesn't degrade

high profits for the company, yet almost no environmental responsibility

like the lady says........they're junk!

may i expand for lizzie ......ahem..... :D

mcdonalds are the scum of the earth. they are a multinational company that have cropped up, like a virus, in every far-flung corner of the earth

they make high fat food of low nutritional value

they waste vast amounts of meat

they create mountains of waste cartons, carriers, rubbish that doesn't degrade

high profits for the company, yet almost no environmental responsibility

like the lady says........they're junk!

I think this is more an indicator of peoples true feelings.

People just don't like McDonalds because they are successful. Like Microsoft. Like Tesco.

People label it junk, and as the original BBC article points out, it is no worse than the average restaurant burger. And the fries and drinks are more healthy.

High fat food of no nutritional value - read the article.

And waste loads of meat? I would think it's usually eaten.

Waste issues - I agree with this, although no more than other companies.

Profit - isn't that what all companies do?

As I said, I think the arguments against McDonalds as stated in the BBC article are very weak. Peoples hatred of Mcdonalds, and the likes of Tesco and Microsoft appears to be through jealousy of a succesful company.

Peoples hatred of Mcdonalds, and the likes of Tesco and Microsoft appears to be through jealousy of a succesful company.

I disagree. i have no quarrel with companies that make large profits, as long as they are

1. socially responsible in the countries they buy in to
2. environmentally responsible

people have issue with microsoft because it has no real competition and likewise with tesco. this is not good for anybody, as they can literally do what they like.

for example, i have just come back from koh samui, thailand. it has recently acquired a tesco supermarket ( i was horrified to see)

there was large protest before it was built....but it was built anyway. the enormous car park was built on pristine palm forest. the local grocers and shop owners are going out of business or struggling.

it makes me sick

or maybe people are just sic of seeing the Golden Arches everywhere.
People who don't like Mc Donalds usually don't make the mistake of just disliking mac Donalds, it's what it stands for, the profit that all companies do that you mention.
I tend to buy my stuff at local shops rather than at Morrisons- I don't think it's because I'm jealous of the money they make, I just don't like supermarkets and everything that goes with it.

Thank you Solomon :)

And to add to that... (*roll up sleeves)

may i expand for lizzie ......ahem.....

mcdonalds are the scum of the earth. they are a multinational company that have cropped up, like a virus, in every far-flung corner of the earth

and they undermine the costs of the lowest-priced item of street food in all the developing countries so that the poorer people choose McDonald's over their own national food. Plus the wages and working conditions are abysmal in most countries.

they waste vast amounts of meat from cows that live on land that was national forest before they razed it to the ground for them to graze on.

There are statistics to show how much grain it takes to produce 1kg of beef vs how many people that grain could feed in a developing country. (I don't have them to hand.)

like the lady says........they're junk!
and I'll say it again... they're junk!

Anybody who's interested in all of this should read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/203-4635028-5835946?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=fast+food+nation

I couldn't care less how much money they make, but what does bother me is that on the list of the 70-odd ingredients that comprise their strawberry milkshake, nowhere will you find any strawberries.

Just how the fries and drinks could be more healthy is beyond belief. It's all propaganda.

I worked 5 shifts a week at McDonald's back in the 80s, in Paris. I was entitled to one meal per shift. Of my 5 meals, at least 3 would be salads. After three weeks of eating two McDo's a week, I had to call out the doctor in the middle of the night who injected me with valium as it had stuffed up my innards to the point where I was in screaming agony and I could no longer move.

He asked me what I had eaten and where I worked. And then in a very gallic fashion, proceeded to shake his head in dismay: why was I so confused? For him it was blatently obvious. And that was 20 years ago!

THAT cannot be good.

Sidebottom, you should also try and read the book called "No Logo". I don't think it's a case of jealousy against the wealth that McD makes, but they do use a lot of additives in their products. Why do their fries smell so nice ? It's added with some food enhancers/additives which makes them smell like freshly-made chips.

I don't know whether that weblink is misleading or what. It's what the government want to do as a classification, but as any dietician will know that, a piece of meat, cooked from fresh, is much healthier, than for it to be preserved, processed or refined in any way before consumption. By that, I don't mean just cooking it a different way, but what majority of corporate fast food companies do. Which is to standardise the method of their products so that every single burger sold will taste the same, but in some ways, they need to cut costs, and to stretch the meat content further, so they have to add other ingredients too. Or to preserve their freshness.

I do eat McD once a while, and I make it a thing to try different McD in different countries too. I think the standard varies across the globe. Some may be more fresh, than it is processed. However, I still class them as junk food too.

Junk food to me are food which are processed, or is really bad for your health. Even a typical deep fried sweet and sour chicken balls, are to me, junk food too. Anything steamed, or cooked lightly with its freshness retained (most veg) without deep frying it, to me are more nutritional.

McDonalds is not actually that bad compared to a lot of junk food.
If you think about it, A McDonalds Fillet O Fish burger carries about 285 calories.
You can burn a Filet o Fish burger on a 3 mile run. When i was fighting in kickboxing actively, I used to go to Mcdonalds after a hard training session!

Also Mcdonalds portions are not overly large so you can fill up quickly on a McDonalds without feeling too heavy like you feel after Fish and Chips.

I have 1 McD's a week, and the occassional choc shake from there, and it does me no harm...

My only annoyance is that often the staff don't listen when you ask for "plain cheese burger, NO salad or gherkins please" and the burger comes back loaded with green stuff :rant: