How France Fell for Le Big Mac

Global downturn? They're lovin' it

(NEWSER) - A rare beneficiary of the financial crisis, McDonald’s says it will build 240 new European locations and create 12,000 jobs, the Financial Times reports. The firm’s biggest expansion in 5 years will extend mainly to Spain, France, Italy, Russia, and Poland. “We’re certainly not slowing down,” said the president of McDonald’s Europe. More»

Who doesn't associate world-class athletes with the McDonald's lifestyle?

(NEWSER) - Nothing symbolizes physical fitness better than ... McDonald's, right? The fast-food chain is a major London Olympics sponsor, and it has some pretty big plans—literally. The world's largest McDonald's will open this summer in Olympic Park. The AP describes it as a "cathedral-like restaurant" whose two stories house room for 1,500 diners. If spectators can't find a seat there, they'll have three other locations from which to choose in Olympic Park, and a fifth location will be set up in the athletes' village. More»

Picture that the next time you're chowing down ... complete with snow

(NEWSER) - The next time you find yourself shoveling McDonald's fries into your mouth, slow down: You're likely failing to recognize what a precious experience you are engaged in. Bloomberg tucks a fun tidbit into a piece on McDonald's suppliers—apparently, sinking your teeth into a fry should be like "walking on freshly fallen snow." Seriously. That's from the company's director of sensory science, who was leading a contest in which its suppliers were supposed to cook the ideal fry. For the record, a sample from Lamb Weston's American Falls, Idaho, plant won for the second year in a row. More»

Care for some fertilizer with your burger?

(NEWSER) - Duck feathers, human hair, fertilizer: These are among the ingredients you may be ingesting every time you chow down on fast food. That's because the FDA has deemed certain additives to be "generally recognized as safe," even though it may creep you out to learn of them. On Mother Nature Network , Melissa Breyer runs down eight of the most disturbing:

• Duck feathers and human hair: These two unappealing things are the most common sources for an amino acid, l-cysteine, used to make dough easier to process. McDonald's uses l-cysteine, the duck feather kind, in its apple pie.
• Fertilizer: Ammonium sulfate is also commonly used, as "yeast food for bread," in fast food bakery products. But it can also act as a fertilizer for alkaline soils.

It's the first change in the fast food chain since 1969

(NEWSER) - Goodbye, Burger King. Hello, Burger Queen. Wendy’s is about to overtake Burger King as the No. 2 fast food chain in US sales, according to a new report from market research firm Technomic. If that doesn’t sound momentous to you, consider that it’s the first time the big three burger chains have switched order since Wendy’s was founded in 1969, the Wall Street Journal points out. What’s more impressive: Wendy’s sales—expected to be $8.42 billion this year—will come from around 5,800 restaurants, compared to roughly 7,200 for Burger King. How far behind will Burger King be? About $53 million. More»