McDonald’s Sales Rapidly Decline As Americans Reject Fake Food
The impossible is happening: McDonald’s is quickly diving out of its stable stock position and into a world of financial hurt as citizens of the United States and elsewhere have decided they are completely done with the company’s frankenfoods.
The decision has hit McDonald’s so hard that its own CEO has even stepped down following the news of continued decline in the company’s most recent briefing. The world’s largest restaurant chain is frantically replacing its foundation in an attempt to recover, from removing its CFO and CEO to launching a new ‘trendy’ advertising campaign that premiered at the Super Bowl.
All the new financial and marketing moves in the world, though, cannot change the fact that many people simply will never eat at McDonald’s again thanks to their GMO-laden fast food ingredients — which have been extensively documented by both health organizations and mainstream media alike. With many items containing over 19 different ingredients that are virtually impossible to pronounce and are also used in the production of silly putty and yoga mats, it’s no wonder consumers are saying ‘no thanks’ to Ronald McDonald.
Here’s just a few of the ingredients you can find in many fast food meals:
- Dimethylpolysiloxane – AÂ chemical known for its use in silicone breast implants, silly putty, and also… chicken nuggets
- Propylene glycol – AÂ laxative chemical and electronic cigarette filler that even e-cigarette companies are beginning to phase out
- Azodicarbonamide – AÂ chemical used in the creation of foamed plastic items like yoga mats
Sounds appetizing, doesn’t it?
And let’s be clear, it would be one thing if McDonald’s offered a variety of items that didn’t contain these problematic substances. And it would be one thing if they, following the outspoken warnings of experts and health groups around the globe, actually removed them and sourced non-GMO alternatives for their food products and added real food instead. Or, spoke out and made sure not to financially support the factory chicken farms that whistleblowers have revealed revolve around not allowing the chickens to ever breathe fresh air and forcing them to sit upon generations of feces and blood.
So is it any wonder that McDonald’s is facing some serious trouble? Will removing the frankenfoods from their menu be their only option? According to Business Insider, ‘McDonald’s Is Losing America’:
“On Monday, McDonald’s reported global same-store sales that declined 2.2% month on month. This missed analysts’ expectations for a 1.7% decline. In the US, the story was even worse for the fast-food giant as same-store sales fell 4.6%.
The disappointing numbers from McDonald’s come as the chain faces increasing competition from restaurants like Chipotle. Last week we noted that even the Federal Reserve’s fieldwork on the US economy showed the consumer shift toward outlets like Chipotle and away from chains like McDonald’s.”
How about the fact the food is so fake, it not only tastes bad, but can make many people sick? I know I’m not the only one who has ever gotten sick at McDonald’s. Nearly all my friends have. My dog who is a garbage gut won’t even eat the fries from there. what does that tell you? I believe in voting with my pocketbook. However, a 5% decline in a horribly bad economy is hardly devastating to McDONALD’S.
About time!
The main reason people are eating less fast-food is not because they’re buying more expensive, healthier food. It’s because the economy is deteriorating so badly, folks can’t even afford to buy fast food. Fast food is actually quite expensive in this imploding economy compared to canned food or other processed / frozen items you can buy at the grocery store.
Also true… But its also true that when Im money conscious, I cut out the things I need the least based on being practical, healthy or useful. When people do have a extra few bucks to spend on a quick eat, they still arent turning to McDonalds’ dollar menu. More bang for the buck includes eating more nutrient dense food because money is tight and food isnt as plentiful. People know its unhealthy, and that fact is factored in when making choices and weighing options.
Chipotles is pricey and theyre doing fine. No ones stopped paying 6 dollars for coffee at Starbucks either so its probably not the economy too much. People want to spend money on quality food now. McDonalds is not quality and people know this.
I can say as one of the 46 million Americans receiving food assistance that ain’t what I’m doing with my money. I can’t afford healthy food, period. Also consider that in addition to the 46 million receiving food assistance there’s easily tens of millions who NEED assistance but don’t get it either because of pride or ignorance on how to sign up for it.
IMO, you only think you can’t afford healthy food. Go to your local Kroger or look up Azure Standard online (though I don’t know if they take SNAP). Organic healthy foods aren’t *that* much more expensive than processed foods and I guarantee that they’re less expensive than fast food meals (unless you’re buying from the dollar menu at McDonalds). I regularly buy 3 heads of organic lettuce for about $3 at Kroger, and that’s enough to make dinner salads for 2 or 3 nights for two people. The organic toppings I add aren’t that much, either. I make my own salad dressings; they taste better, are cheaper, and are made with high-quality and simple ingredients. All told, for very good organic dinner salads, I pay about $1.50 each, and that’s with them being totally loaded like a chef salad at a fancy restaurant. They’re a lot more healthy than anything on the dollar menu at McDonalds, and they don’t cost that much more. I know exactly what’s in them, too, because *I* put it there.
I compared prices on organic vs conventional carrots tonight and the organic were the exact same price as conventional carrots. The generic organic cereal I buy (and the name-brand organic when it’s on sale) is the same price or less than the “normal” cereals. And yes, everything in the store that is food like that is eligible for the SNAP or WIC programs, regardless if they’re organic or not. I would rather my tax dollars which are going to those programs be spent on organic produce rather than conventional foods because it’s better for the people consuming the food, it’s better for the people growing the food, and it’s better on the environment. Most stores have “natural and organic” sections nowadays. It’s worth walking over there and looking through it to see if you can find some deals.
I’m not on welfare but I’m not far from it, unfortunately. I afford healthy and organic foods by being a smart shopper and being willing to cook from scratch. I stock up on items when they’re on sale and I buy in bulk. I buy semi-local meats from the local butcher, and we limit our meat consumption so we aren’t spending so much money. I get free-range ground beef for $5 a pound from the ranchers where I buy raw milk, which is the same price as factory-farmed meat. It would be more than that if I bought a pound at a time, so I buy in bulk to bring down the price.
I make my own refried beans from canned or dried organic beans, and we eat them 3 or more times a week for dinner. I can my own salsa from produce that comes from my garden and from a local organic farmer, and we have that with the bean dip I often make. Pancakes and french toast made with organic ingredients (with real maple syrup or homemade fruit syrups) make regular appearances in my house.
I may not have a “gourmet raw food” diet, but it’s healthy enough and it’s affordable and it’s filling. That’s what really matters to me. The raw milk I buy is by far the most expensive item, but I can afford it because I save so much money on the other things I buy. If someone wants to eat better, it’s just a matter of priorities and being a smart consumer.
You, sir, are AWESOME!
I’m a ma’am, but thank you anyways for the compliment. 🙂
I agree, she is! 🙂
If you’re on food assistance, you can’t afford to NOT eat healthy food. Whole grains and unprocessed food is far cheaper than junk food. A big potato will cost you 50 cents. That same potato as fries will cost you $4, and as potato chips will cost you $10. Plus the junk food will be missing all the enzymes in the fresh potato, and will be have all those rancid oils and chemicals.
It will require you to plan ahead. I make a big pot of brown rice on the week end that lasts me till Wednesday, and eat it as the staple part of both breakfast and dinner.
It also requires that you recondition your taste buds. People who eat junk food get addicted to the chemicals (that are put there for that purpose) so that plain simple food tastes bad. Overcoming that is just a matter of intention, not finances, and poor people can do it as well as rich people.
I don’t think you seriously have a clue how bad the economy really is for most people. I’ve had 5 months of employment in the last 3 years (and it was for $10/hr) Try that & see what kind of food you can afford…
I spent years being desperately poor. The only convenience foods I bought were ketchup and eggs. Everything else was from scratch. Now that there are food banks, it’s better, but food banks usually won’t have whole grains, so you have to buy them. They are good, tasty, and cost about 10-15 cents per meal.
If you have a refrigerator, a hot plate, and a pan, you can eat very low on the food chain and eat a nutritious diet. Seriously, poor people can’t afford to eat crappy food.
Dude, i haven’t had regular income in over 5 years, I eat a healthy vegetarian diet that costs much less than whatever you’re eating i am sure. The least healthy thing i eat is whole grain pasta, which is about 15 cents a meal lol. Beans are your friend, cheap filled with protein. Its more about educating yourself on how to eat.
I am so encouraged by your response. Thank you for your efforts. We must combat the mythology that a healthy lifestyle is more expensive. I’ll say it plainly: It is NOT expensive to your wallet, but it is expensive to your time and how you decide to privilege food and health in your (and your family’s) lifestyle. It’s about making a decision and commitment about what is important to you. Real eating, whole food eating and preparation is messy and time consuming, but it is so, so worth it. I could go on and on…. but in the end, it’s about opting out of a food system that is fundamentally flawed, corrupt, dangerous to human and animal health, disastrous to the environment, and tremendously damaging to our social and cultural lives. Thank you for sharing your story.
I wonder what a single person can get monthly? I know someone that makes less than $300 week but won’t apply in PA?
I know it’s not easy having to pinch pennies, trust me, but you are worth the extra effort!!!
When your immune and organ systems become unable to tolerate the poisons it is being forced to deal with, the suffering and enormous expense of being put through the big pharma/medical meat-grinder will greatly outweigh any inconvenience and special budgeting that you do NOW to prevent these things.
Please don’t feel I’m being judgemental – that’s not where this is coming from. I say this with compassion.
I look around all the time and see how tempting our modern world has made eating garbage quick and easy. Many people have been stripped of their natural instincts for real food. Fast food chains should not even exist in a society that cares for health. The western world has been corporatized and the diseases of millions caused by horrid food is a tragic testament to this reality.
FreedomDove gave you some very practical and truly precious advice. So, if there is a will, there is a way.
I’d also check out Trader Joe’s if you have one near you.
Many blessings to you! 🙂
Spouts is better(price and overall organic selection) than trader joes but I’m not sure how many regions they are in. Trader joes does generally have a bigger organic selection and much cheaper than whole foods, though. In order to really get the highest quality food of the cheapest you are going to have to shop at a few places.
Oh, I’ve never heard of Spouts. Yeah, I agree, I shop at Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop and Whole Foods in order get the best deals from each.
So true. There is a local grocer near me where I can buy fresh produce whole sale. So I use a crock pot now to prepare veggie and bean stews, buy lots of fresh veggies and fruits. It’s actually amazing how much quicker, cheaper, and healthier my eating has become. It takes some planning but it can be done. Breakfast is steel cut oats with fruit and almond milk, lunch is a veggie stew, fruit and/or salad with non fat yogurt, dinner a baked potato, veggies, brown rice and snacks are fruit or raw veggies. Easy prep and easy clean up. My food bills are 50% less since I rarely eat junk or red meat.
Oh yeah…wild salmon a few times weekly…I can now afford it!
That’s awesome…good for you!
They quit selling the angus burgers because they became to expensive when they economy went down, the meals were already like $6.99 I believe and they couldn’t raise the prices anymore (knowing people couldn’t afford it) so they quit selling it.
Couldn’t tell by the Mcdonald’s around here, they always have customers.
I think its becuz of over all food awareness, ever since the gmo thing. People are scared of their food.
the thought of eating anything from McDonald’s turns my stomach. I simply will not eat there. it started with pink goo and that was it for me.
OMG! They are too big to fail! Something must be done
I’ve hated Mac and Don’s since they came out with them happy meals. That junk would last the ride home before it was broken. In 1999 they came out with a, what they claimed to be a steak sandwich. I bought 2 in West Virginia while we were traveling cross country. Before I took a bite I had oil running down my arm, all over my legs, boots, seat, and floor. Thinking it was a fluke, I opened the second one. It was worse! I thought Mac and Dons was serving garbage all my life, just a few days short of 60 years now. The only fast food I’ve had in the last 15 plus years is Subway, and they’re nothing to write home about either. I will only do mom and pop greasy spoons!
I wonder if the horrible McDonalds ad campaign with the annoying music and marketing which tends to focus on urban youth has anything to do with their decline?
I read somewhere recently of the ridiculous and dangerous chemicals that Mackies puts in their fries (beyond the gunk that Anthony listed in his article). It is NOT just potatoes and oil; GMO potatoes or not. No more for me. This stuff is downright poisoning people. Wake up, America. Oh – it looks as though ‘you’ are. Well done.
I stopped eating there like 20 years ago before I ever knew what ingredients were in their food. The cockroach embedded in my then-boyfriend’s breakfast sandwich was enough for me…
Chipotle is majority owned by Mcdonalds btw so …. no its not a competitor
Unfortunately (for McDonald’s) they divested themselves from Chipotle back in ’06.
Nice to see an awakened person here…Namaste
TRUTH BE TOLD:
The boycott has sure helped… so they shouldn’t say it is all about frankenfoods… they started losing and have lost a LOT of business since last summer because they contribute so much to Israel.
so it isn’t all about the food like products they sell…
Right, but they won’t remove themselves. The most succinct version of the only realistic attitude: Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
Passivity is acquiescence.
First of all propelyne glycol, is an organic compound used in nearly everything we consume. It is found in anything from consumable alcohol, ice cream, coffee, all different types of food, medication (inhalers), yes e cigarettes, and even in cigarettes. It is considered G.R.A.S by the government.
It is quite obvious why you threw the propylene glycol in there, and that’s because of all the hype around ecigs and all this wacky propaganda. PG is a main ingredient in ecigs and NO THEY’RE NOT TAKING IT OUT! It’s not dangerous for human consumption and never will be. Do your research you P.O.S. Thank you.
Early McDonald’s had real food, and one very successful product was real potatoes each franchise kept on hand with special storage. People greatly liked non soggy french fries made from unprocessed actual potatoes. Their french fries were really good and wholesome.
Never was a big “fast food” consumer. However, I distinctly remember the day I was on a long road trip and stopped at a Burger King for a quick meal–just a small Whopper. Wow. 10 mins. later my mouth and throat were burning and then I had the worst migraine ever (I never get them). Needless to say that was my last fast food meal and that was back in 2001. I won’t even eat their salads. If I’m too busy to eat I’d rather wait until decent food is available and not eat at all.
In
a time when Walmart is having money problems YOU KNOW it’s a sure sign
of troubled financial waters NOT a sign people are suddenly becoming
health conscious
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/05/wal_mart_sales_decline_america_s_largest_retailer_is_slipping_as_customers.html
Obviously you don’t know everything. Organic and healthy food sales have sky-rocketed in the last 5 years or so. No, not everyone is eating healthy, but many are transitioning away from processed foods and fast foods–and that means less business for them.
You’ve got it all figured out….. I must be wrong then….. Silly me
Well, no. I don’t have it “all” figured out, but I do know that the sales of healthy and organic foods have risen considerably in the last several years. Some of it is quite a bit more expensive than conventional food and some of it isn’t. The point being that they are gaining in popularity, which means that less money is being spent on fast food and conventional foods. But yeah, there are plenty of people out there still consuming cheap processed food. Maybe they just don’t know any better or they don’t have good access to decent foods or maybe they just don’t care. Who knows, eh?