Tag Archives: McDonald’s french fries

Inflation hits McDonald’s suppliers: French fry supplier to close plant in WA

Posted on October 9, 2024 by | 5 comments

Inflation has hit all Americans hard during the Biden-Harris administration. It’s about to hit employees at a Lamb Weston plant in Connell, Washington, too.

From Yahoo:

“A major french fry supplier is cutting jobs as customers continue to count their pennies amid inflated prices at fast-food chains.

Lamb Weston, the largest producer of french fries in North America, announced last week it was closing its plant in Connell, Washington, meaning 375 employees, or 4% of its workforce, would be laid off, according to an earnings report released last week.

“Restaurant traffic and frozen potato demand, relative to supply, continue to be soft, and we believe it will remain soft through the remainder of fiscal 2025,” Tom Werner, Lamb Weston president and CEO, said last week on an earnings call.

Fast-food chains have felt the consequences of inflation as cash-strapped customers have been more careful about patronizing many restaurants. A survey in May revealed that 80% of Americans considered fast food to be a “luxury” because of high prices.”

Read the whole story here.

Inflation has hit us hard, indeed. According to a CBS News price tracker report from last month, since 2019 to to August 2024 potatoes (by the pound) have increased by 34%, a dozen eggs by 126%, and a loaf of bread by 54%. These price increases are unsustainable for the average American.

Remember wisely as you vote next month. Because things could get much, much worse:

DCG

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MSG is why McDonald’s fries are so addictive

Posted on July 20, 2021 by | 7 comments

Sneaky bastards!

From Eat This, Not That, July 18, 2021:

[McDonald’s] fries are made of more than just Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes—they also pack in vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and salt. And the culprit that’s responsible for cultivating your addiction is the far-from-innocent natural beef flavor. McDonald’s discloses that this savory addition is mostly made up of hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk.

While wheat and milk aren’t bad ingredients (unless you have an intolerance), hydrolyzing them—in a process where heat and chemicals break down the foods and produce MSG, which achieves extra appetizing flavors—poses a threat to your tummy. Besides for weight gain and weird allergy-type reactions, MSG also increases appetite by inhibiting your brain from registering that you’re satiated. In fact, one study found that giving laboratory rats MSG increased their food intake by an extra 40 percent!

From WebMD, Feb. 19, 2019:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) . . . is a seasoning made from sodium and glutamate, an amino acid that’s found naturally in certain foods like tomatoes, soy sauce, and aged cheeses. Glutamate was discovered as a flavor enhancer in 1908 by a Japanese professor. . . . Glutamate is unique because it hits the fabled “fifth taste” called umami (Japanese for “delicious”), a decidedly savory and meaty flavor. The professor filed for a patent to produce MSG, and it became widely used to season food. . . .

[I]n the 1990s, the FDA asked an independent scientific group to investigate. The group concluded that MSG is safe, though they said some sensitive people might get short-term symptoms (like headache or drowsiness) if they consume 3 grams or more of MSG (a typical serving in food is less than .5 grams).

The FDA classifies MSG as “generally recognized as safe”, the same designation that ingredients like sugar and baking soda have. They say the body metabolizes MSG the same way it does the natural glutamate found in food. Also of note: The International Headache Society no longer includes MSG on their list of headache triggers.

~E

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