Debate over the fast food chain’s french fries after Peta message.
McDonald’s have responded to Peta’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) accusation that the fast food chain’s fries aren’t vegetarian by insisting that they are – in the UK at least.
The debate over how their fries are cooked has raged recently with the firm insisting that “once in the restaurant, our fries are simply cooked in dedicated frying vats in a non-hydrogenated blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil which is 100 per cent suitable for vegans”.
However, it was claimed that the French fries were cooked in beef stock, which saw Peta produce a social media message: “Even McDonald’s FRIES aren’t suitable for vegetarians,” along with an angry emoji. McDonald’s quickly responded that while some countries do use animal fat for their fries, it is not true in the UK, where they can be eaten by both vegetarians and vegans.
“The fries are not coated in any fats or substances from an animal,” according to McDonald’s website. In the UK, McCain’s make the McDonald’s fries from Russet Burbank, Pentland Dell, and Shepody potatoes.
Despite being renowned for producing meat burgers, McDonald’s is keen to promote its vegetarian credentials with the firm creating a number of vegan options including the McPlant burger using Beyond Meat.
