Interesting...Today's nonsense...organic food, yesterday...fast food...look at the results...percentage of USA residents either obese or over weight. A visit to any American home will find refrigerators stuffed with just the foods available at McDonald's. Few American men or women know how to cook or have any idea about 'healthy' meal planning much less its execution. No food is 'bad' it offers sustenance. Shortly the cities will be at the mercy of the food suppliers. There is no way that a city of ten million can be supplied fresh food. Chemicals are needed to keep it safe and palatable . Best of all, my McDonald's stock allows us an occasional night out at a sit down, some one else cooked, meal, of our choice.

I'm also curious how many people think that if they go to the market and buy a regular whole chicken or pieces of chicken to cook themselves that they are just getting chicken and not a similar list of preservatives and additives?

Girlspytravel: I frankly can't follow your rant that well, but if you would read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and get back to us, that would be good.

If you read the USDA's own mission statement, you will see that "expanding markets for agricultural products" takes precedence over anything else. And if you actually watch what they DO, rather than what they SAY, you'll be even more appalled.

Remember, in USDA parlance, "agricultural products" means highly processed food products, not simple farm produce. In practice, that means "industrial corn goes in everything".

foods that gov't subsidies provide to school lunches often are anything but the healthiest but loaded with fats - mainly bad probably

I have to agree that any government agency in today's administration especially is in the pay of mega businesses - agribusinesses in this case.

It's like the guy Bush put in charge of FEMA (Brownie you're doing a great job) - his previous experience - horse racing

or the chief U.S. mines guy - came from the industry then relaxed inspections, etc. resulting in the most mine fatalities since about 1916

call me a cynic as well

now if the Chinese food has something bad then they may act

I can follow girlspy's post, it wasn't that difficult to read, although I don't have any opinion about McDonald's ingredients in that regard as I haven't researched it and don't know. Most fast food restaurants aren't producing particularly great food in many ways because it isn't fresh (so has lots of preservatives) and people love sugar and fats who eat it.

However, why is fnarf... talking about the USDA in response to her, and saying it's a trade promotion group, she never mentioned them. fnarf is the one responding about USDA from what I read, which makes that a red herring. hey, I read that Dannon helps supply McDonalds, isn't that a French firm?

People love to hate McDonalds, it's just easy to pick out a big corporation. I kind of dislike them being everywhere, also, but don't like it when people single out one corporation when it's no different (and possibly better) than many others. It's just too simplistic, and I don't like that.

I ate at Subways once and thought it was no better than McDonalds. The thing I find frightening is how many people eat the junk food at McDonalds or Burger King or any of those places regularly, and feed it to their children regularly. People are too lazy today, it's amazing. You can easily cook simple stuff at home in the same time that would be better, anyway.

YOu know what I think it really sad, is when working at McDonalds is seen as a really cool, upscale job. I know this is just cultural ignorance on my part (I'm not really ignorant about it, it's just hard to feel it because we are so privileged in our living conditions), but I've read stories about that regarding new McDonalds that opened in some of these very poor countries and how desirable those jobs were and what a great thing it was perceived to get one (such as in Russia or Bulgaria). We really all should count our blessings and those things remind you of that.

I really hate McDonalds advertising, though. That whole Mickey D's thing to try to appear cool and hip was sickening.

<<I'm also curious how many people think that if they go to the market and buy a regular whole chicken or pieces of chicken to cook themselves that they are just getting chicken and not a similar list of preservatives and additives?>>
Neo - I guess the whole population of France IF they buy a chicken raised in that country.

hi, kirbyks

sorry if this has been cvered already, but I couldn't be bothered to read the entire thread!

a very good guide to irish food and restaurants is the Bridgestone Irish food guide. google tells me that it's about £11 and there's a 2007 edition.

my memory from our trip 10 years or so ago is that the food was pretty good. we never had to resort to MCD. The breakfasts were particularly outstanding.

have a good trip,

regards, ann

StCirg: McD's SMELLS! I agree with you...I can't stand the smell of McD's (or In and Out either.) I think it's the "fried" smell. The fried food & sugar & caffeine diet can be addicting... But once you stop eating that way, it's funny, you can't go back.

Many foods we buy at USA grocery stores have added sugar that only makes them taste worse! I found a great and easy recipe for home-made pasta sauce and have been making it for about a year. One day on impulse I picked up a jar of the pasta sauce we used to like...yuck! It tasted sugary...we were used to the delicious tomato-and-garlic taste of home-made sauce. The home-made sauce is cheaper too.

I don't eat at any of the fast-food burger chains anymore, unless the person I'm going out to lunch with insists...sometimes you gotta put up with a lot for the sake of friends!

So I don't travel to eat. Actually after a few days I travel to not eat because restaurants are not something I am really good at even at home. My husband however does love to eat when he travels. The only time we ate fast food, at least North American style, was at a Burger King in Paris with our teenagers.

We have however had many occasions where we have snuck in to use the MacDonalds washrooms. If we feel a little guilty we buy a coffee.

I'd rather try the local food where we travel and we end up often with the locals as we don't always eat Gourmet. It is half the fun of traveling. If you like McD's there is certainly no reason why you shouldn't stop in and have a bite. Everyone should travel their way I think.

Melissa - I think the horrible clinging reek in McD's is tallow.

When you're hungry at 3 o'clock in the morning in Munich. Where do you go??

McD are open and sell burgers. ;-). That's all there is to it, but that's quite someting.

Don't they have doner kebabs in Munich at 3am like in Paris?

McDonald's is a successful business. It offers a secure environment and comfortable sanitary arrangements. Its products are safe to eat! Visit the kitchen or back door of a 'quaint' local restaurant. Read, Orwell, Down and Out in Paris! Best of all, it is child friendly!

@Logos999

Regarding the first McD in Europe:

1971: On August 21, the first European McDonald's outlet opens, in Zaandam (near Amsterdam) in the Netherlands. The franchisee is Ahold (a supermarketchain; they are not the franchiser anymore).
1971: The first McDonald's in Germany (Munich) opens in December.

So they are around some while, but not since 1966.

I myself like tot eat at McD every now and then (say once every 6 weeks).

While we're being historical, France was the 9th country in which McDonald's opened, in 1972.

The order of international openings:
Canada (1967), Costa Rica, Panama (1970), Japan, Netherlands, Germany, Australia (1971).

It should be noted that McDonald's pulled out of France for a few years due to a major legal battle. The first establishments in France were franchised for a symbolic amount of royalties, but it turned out that they were a gold mine. So McD headquarters attacked them for being unhygienic and not respecting the franchise charter. Naturally, they had more muscle and won in the end. The places in operation were stripped of the yellow plastic and the name, and three years later, in 1979, McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Strasbourg. It continues to deny that there were ever any McDonald's restaurants in France before that date.

llamalady - McD's now uses vegetable oil, no tallow in sight. They still use some beef flavoring for the fries, at least in the US, but the smell is likely just the smell of the beef on the griddle.

I have to say that I LOVE MCDONALD's. I also love fine dining, but there is something about Mickey D's that just hits the right spot. And, as many have said, it is safe, reliable, affordable, and comfortable.

I have to disagree about nothing to eat at three am in Germany...my other half sniffs a kebab a mile away (Still not great but slightly better than Mc D's I think but its only my opinion) Most cities have a night culture and in NY you can find a diner and most countries either a cafe, coffee shop or chipper...quality at 3am is never great but after a few drinks I am not looking for Fois Gras either
In Dublin I usually get something in the shop to stick in the at home i.e. frozen pizza (not great) or a slice from a pizza place in Temple bar that is kinda like NY pizza on a low level. God I miss those 24 hour diners!!!

I am realisinmg more and more the crap in the food we eat. I have been in China for 1 week eating less but 3 leals a day and still lost weight as I had no bread or greasy food...Just real chinese food! There is something to the Chinese diet I say

"There is something to the Chinese diet I say"

As long as you lay off all that rice!

Where ever I go, I'm looking for foods containing the three major food groups: sugar, salt, and MSG.

Oui pensez dehors le bun