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McDonald's
Error Leads To $10 Million Donation
June 05, 2002
NEW YORK -- McDonald's said it is donating $10 million to
Hindu and vegetarian groups and creating a Dietary Practice/Vegetarian
Advisory Panel as part of a settlement over misinforming consumers
about the ingredients in its French fries and hash browns.
The products were "improperly identified as vegetarian" when
in fact they used beef flavoring in the process, according
to the company.
"We regret we did not provide these customers with complete
information, and we sincerely apologize for any hardship that
these miscommunications have caused among Hindus, vegetarians
and others," the company said in a statement. "We should have
done a better job in these areas, and we're committed to doing
a better job in the future."
McDonald's move is part of a wider settlement of five class-action
lawsuits regarding the mislabeling of its food as vegetarian.
The settlement was drafted in March, but McDonald's said it
previously was unable to comment about the situation.
The $10 million will be donated to Hindu, vegetarian and
"other groups whose charitable and educational activities
are closely linked to the concerns of these consumers." The
advisory panel will consist of "experts in consumer dietary
practices that will advise McDonald's on relevant dietary
restrictions and guidelines, which McDonald's and others can
use for marketing to persons who follow those restrictions."
source: brandweek.com |
Study finds
teen vegetarians healthier than meat-eaters
May 13, 2002
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Grandma may be upset that her
teen-age son will not eat her chicken casserole, but U.S.
researchers say vegetarian teen-agers have a healthier diet
than their meat-eating counterparts.
What many parents may fear is youthful rebellion or even an
unhealthy way of keeping off weight is actually a good way
to get the recommended vitamins and minerals -- and avoid
fatty junk food in the process, a team at the University of
Minnesota found.
"It seems that rather than viewing adolescent vegetarianism
as a difficult phase or fad, the dietary pattern could be
viewed as a healthy alternative to the traditional American
meat-based diet," epidemiologist Cheryl Perry and colleagues
wrote in Sunday's issue of the journal Archives of Pediatric
Adolescent Medicine.
They studied more than 4,500 teen-agers, with an average age
of about 15, from 31 middle schools and high schools in Minnesota.
Of them, about 262, or nearly 6 percent, said they were vegetarian.
They compared the diets of these boys and girls to the Healthy
People 2010 recommendations, which are dietary targets issued
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
They include goals of getting less than 30 percent of one's
daily calories from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated
fat, eating more than two servings of fruit and three servings
of vegetables daily.
"Overall, adolescent vegetarians were significantly more likely
to meet the dietary recommendations of Healthy People 2010,"
Perry's group wrote. "Vegetarian adolescents were more than
twice as likely to eat less than 30 percent of their calories
from fat and nearly three times more likely to eat less than
10 percent of their calories from saturated fat," they added.
"They were also 1.4 to two times more likely to eat two or
more servings of fruit, three or more servings of vegetables
... and five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily."
Both the vegetarians and the meat-eaters failed to get enough
calcium every day, the researchers found, but the vegetarians
got significantly more iron, vitamin A, folate and fiber.
They also drank more diet soda and caffeine, which the researchers
said reflected the desire of most of the teen-agers to keep
weight off. "Vegetarian adolescents, similar to their adult
counterparts, have dietary patterns that, if maintained, could
significantly lower their risk of the leading causes of death
as adults," the researchers said. |
MEANING GREEN,
the world's first vegetarian fast-food chain, aims to open
100 vegetarian fast food restaurants in Western Europe and
in the USA within five years.
In November 1998, MEANING GREEN opened its first restaurants
in Sweden with the vision of being a leading agent in vegetarian
food and to build a brand that represents a holistic view
of human beings, animals and nature. One of the company's
most important goals is to make also non-vegetarians discover
vegetarian food and find it tasty and various.
MEANING GREEN always tries to be in the centres of towns
where people can find them easily. Often McDonald's are already
there. For this reason two of the MEANING GREEN restaurants
in Stockholm are next to McDonalds. But so far the vegetarian
fast-food restaurants have been very crowded and competition
from McDonalds has not been shown. The more vegetarian restaurants
the better for everyone, consider MEANING GREEN owners, who
want to offer an alternative to McDonalds and who provide
the customer with an opportunity for participation and commitment
to a better environment and a healthier lifestyle.
The initiative to the MEANING GREEN idea came from a Swedish
businessman named Mr Greg Dingizian, who earlier ran many
successful business projects. He is a vegetarian himself and
his favourite literature are books by Peter Singer, Paul Brunton
and Eastern Philosophers. In 1997 he created the plan for
MEANING GREEN. After that followed the putting into practise
of his business idea. Some rich businessmen (no vegetarians)
invested in the MEANING GREEN project because they believe
in it and find it interesting. The MEANING GREEN's corporate
philosophy is valuesled business. The company will use the
power of business to generate economic as well as ethical
profit with the vision as a guiding principle. The MEANING
GREEN's equity was in June l998 SEK 130 millions. At the beginning
of this year, by a new share issue, the company will raise
additional SEK 300 millions. They will also be listed on the
Stockholm Exchange. By this transaction MEANING GREEN will
be one of the biggest recent introductions on the Swedish
Exchange.
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