McEthics in Europe and Asia



McEthics in Europe and Asia

Answer #1

McDonald's is one of the best known brands to market fast food in the world. It currently has over 32,500 restaurants scattered around 119 countries, employing more than 1.6 million people who receive about 60 million customers per day. The chain sells about 190 hamburgers per second and a new restaurant is opened every ten hours. Symbol of globalization, capitalism, and Americanism McDonald's is the target of insults because of the high-calorie products it produces that encourages bad eating habits and increasing obesity, especially childhood.

McDonald's pioneered an innovative business model, which has been imitated by other fast food chains and have millions of followers. However, not all agree with that business model. Protests against McDonald's have been common in recent years and are becoming more compliant. In European countries like France or England there is a common protest against the fast food company. Marketer of high-calorie and high fat, McDonald's is one of the main culprits for the increasing rates of obesity, especially in the younger population. Hamburgers, fries and sandwiches, among others, are some of the food fast food contributing to this increase, they all used and abused by the U.S. chain. Besides the high fat and calories, the company was also accused of failing to provide a balanced menu, not to disclose the nutritional values of foods and encourage customers, especially children, to consume large portions of products that are harmful to Health (George, 2010).

The controversy reached its peak with the McLibel trial, which lasted about two years. In the 90s of last century, two activists, Helen Steel and Dave Morris, raised the controversy over high-calorie foods with a booklet, "What's wrong with McDonald's?" And also issues related to the mistreatment of animals, farm of child labor and destruction of tropical forests. There followed a series of trials in which McDonald's tried to answer as best as possible. However, in 1997 proved that the chain of restaurants operated children with misleading advertising (Happy Meal offers a toy in exchange for a meal), mistreated animals, paying low wages to its employees and produced high-calorie foods.

Answer #2

The protests continued worldwide, especially in Europe, USA and more recently in Asia, bringing several lawsuits against the food chain to court. In the 2000s the film Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock, for one month only consumes branded products, demonstrating its health consequences. However, several European governments, such as the United Kingdom and France begin to analyze the effects produced by the fast food chains like McDonald's, health. However, in 2004, to the astonishment of many, the company decided to implement healthier meals. After criticisms and objections about the evils of their meals, and being appointed as the responsible for the alarming rates of obesity in the U.S. population, McDonald's has introduced lower-calorie foods on their menus. On the menu began to appear in products such as salads, grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, among others. For children in Happy Meal was introduced carrot sticks or ...