McDonald’s Goes Nuts

McDonald’s Canada made the bold move to introduce the Skor McFlurry product that contains chopped almonds. And the Internet went crazy. Because these nuts are not in an individual, sealed package, the perception is that McDonald’s is no longer a safe place where people can dine without the worry of food allergies.

There are strong reactions regarding this nut change but it is important to remember that despite McDonald’s previous food policy, the company never guaranteed that all 2.5 million Canadians with food allergies would be safe to consume products at McDonald’s. It’s impossible to make such a bold statement and a company of McDonald’s size would most certainly protect itself against potential liability and litigation. Having said that, I suspect that McDonald’s will backtrack on this change to appease the outraged Internet voices pushing back at the company.

Remember what happened with Earl’s Restaurants last summer. They had announced a decision to cut ties with Canadian Beef suppliers in an effort to provide healthier steroid, antibiotic, and hormone-free beef to their consumers. However, their timing was poor. To walk away from the Alberta Beef industry during an economic downturn resulted in a lot of outrage and talk of a boycott. Earl’s Restaurants quickly backpedaled on their decision and now claim to offer Alberta beef that is “consciously-sourced”. Ah, marketing.