McDonalds GMO potatoes: McDonalds, the largest fast food chain in the United States has refused to use GMO potatoes for it French fries. McDonlads, which has been in business with Idaho based J.R. Simplot for years, has recently refused to buy the company's GMO potatoes.
J.R. Simplot is a big producer of potatoes that go into the plates of so many Americans through their dealings with many fast food restaurants. However, because of their recent introduction of GMO potatoes, they are having a hard time maintaining their client support. One such client is McDonalds. GMO potatoes produced in the Simplot farms are said to have been genetically altered to produce less acrylamide under high temperatures. The acrylamide is suspected of being a carcinogen in humans. The GMO potatoes are also way more resistant to bruising, hence they result in a higher profit count for the company.
The USDA has approved the J.R. Simplot potatoes. However, McDonalds is not buying into the idea. The company policy is that they do not use GMO potatoes and they have no plans of changing in their position.
The McDonalds GMO potatoes debate has been gaining a lot of coverage, especially after many countries banned GMO products from their grocery stores. Vermont recently passed a bill that required their GMO foods to be labeled, causing a court suit of the state by companies such as Starbucks.
J. R. Simplot spokesperson Doug Cole, in a statement, did not address the company's plans to sell to the fast food industry, neither did he address plans to sell to the dehydrated potato industry. Cole did, however, say that the fresh potato market would be more welcoming of the GMO potatoes.
Cole added that the reduced sugars and the reduced carcinogens in their potatoes would be the selling point for the potatoes. The McDonalds gmo potatoes refusal may, however, lead to other markets keeping off the product.
