ACTION ALERT
Less than a week after the OCA and other groups petitioned McDonald’s to reject a GMO potato newly approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ABC News, NBC News, CBS News and numerous other media outlets declared a victory for consumers based on a statement McDonald’s provided to the Idaho Statesman.
Here’s what a McDonald’s spokesperson told the Idaho Statesman when asked if the fast-food chain would buy Simplot’s GMO potato:
"McDonald’s USA does not source GMO potatoes, nor do we have current plans to change our sourcing practices."
A victory for consumers? Or just a victory for McDonald’s public relations team?
As POLITICO pointed out, the McDonald’s statement may have been technically accurate. But it far from rules out the future possibility that McDonald’s will serve up frankenfries. McDonald’s does not now source GMO potatoes, because there are none yet on the market. And just because the restaurant chain claims it doesn’t have ‘current plans’ to use the Simplot potato, doesn’t mean it can’t change its plans.
Read OCA’s Open Letter to McDonald’s CEO Donald Thompson
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