McDonald's dropping Heinz ketchup


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World's biggest fast-food chain seeks new ketchup for its famous french fries.

McDonald's Corp (MCD) on Friday said it plans to end its 40-year relationship with ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co, since that company is now led by Bernardo Hees, the former chief executive of hamburger rival Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW.N).

"As a result of recent management changes at Heinz, we have decided to transition our business to other suppliers over time," McDonald's said in a statement.

"We have spoken to Heinz and plan to work together to ensure a smooth and orderly transition," said McDonald's, which has more than 34,000 restaurants around the globe.

Heinz declined to comment. "As a matter of policy, Heinz does not comment on relationships with customers," company spokesman Michael Mullen said.

The switch will be more apparent overseas than in the United States, as McDonald's only serves Heinz ketchup in two domestic markets - Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Friday.

Indeed, ketchup packages handed out at McDonald's restaurants in the United States often say only "fancy ketchup." Most in-store ketchup dispensers are not branded.

The move from McDonald's could benefit Heinz ketchup rivals Hunt's, owned by ConAgra Foods Inc (CAG), and Del Monte.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and an investment fund affiliated with 3G Capital bought Heinz for $28 billion in June and immediately named Hees CEO.

Burger King went public in June 2012, less than two years after it was taken private by 3G Capital Management LLC, which retains a stake in the fast-food chain.

Burger King has been a Heinz customer for "decades" and uses its products in roughly 80 percent of markets around the world, spokesman Miguel Piedra told Reuters.

 

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I never use ketchup on my French fries and like dipping them in the buffalo sauce!

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Do you remember when their food used to taste good? I can't believe people still buy the garbage. It's more of a convenience thing now anyway. Too bad the young people will never know what fast food used to taste like in America. I remember the fall of most of it:

No more juicy burgers - Mid 90's, Jack in the box ecoli scare prompted almost all fast food places to overcook the beef and/or cook them early in the day, store them in a metal container with warmed water, then briefly place them on the grill before serving. I swear, I haven't had a "Five Guys" quality burger from a chain since 1998.

Fries into soggy cardboard - McDonalds fries were ruined in two ways:

1) Lawsuit from a vegetarian group in the early 00's prompted them to remove the beef bullion flavor from the fries.

2) New York law in the mid 00's prompted most fast food chains to no longer use hydrogenized vegetable oil because it' bad for us. Fries haven't been crispy since.

Taco Bell Scare - Ecoli outbreak in the late 00's forced Taco Bell the permanently remove green onion from all of their food.

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Do you remember when their food used to taste good? I can't believe people still buy the garbage. It's more of a convenience thing now anyway. Too bad the young people will never know what fast food used to taste like in America. I remember the fall of most of it:

 

 

1st every time i go. it tastes great

2nd you think you can cook better?? yeah right

3rd stop complaining

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McDonald's Corp (MCD) on Friday said it plans to end its 40-year relationship with ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co, since that company is now led by Bernardo Hees, the former chief executive of hamburger rival Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW.N).

 

Wow, is McDonald's really that petty?

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So some exec from their competitor leaves, becomes an exec at some ketchup place, breaking ties to his former place of employment and because of all this McD's refuses to use that brand of ketchup?  That makes no sense.

 

What if he had left and became an exec at the Dept. of Treasury.  Would McD's refuse U.S. Currency?

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1st every time i go. it tastes great

2nd you think you can cook better?? yeah right

3rd stop complaining

1) You either don't live in the US or you have a really bad palette.

2) Yes, my burgers at home taste better because they don't sit in a vat of water all day.

3) It's easy; if you don't my complaint, don't read it. Just because you are an assistant manager (all three points of defense tells me that), doesn't mean your garbage tastes good.

I would rather give my money to a politician than dine in your dump.

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Do you remember when their food used to taste good? I can't believe people still buy the garbage.

 

1) You either don't live in the US or you have a really bad palette..

 

 

Do you remember when their food used to taste good? I can't believe people still buy the garbage..

 

 

You do know that not everybody has the same tastes as you? I hate a lot of food but I don't question how people can eat everything I hate.

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Heinz ketchup usually doesn't fare well in blind taste tests anyway, they could do much better.

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Do you remember when their food used to taste good? I can't believe people still buy the garbage. It's more of a convenience thing now anyway. Too bad the young people will never know what fast food used to taste like in America. I remember the fall of most of it:

No more juicy burgers - Mid 90's, Jack in the box ecoli scare prompted almost all fast food places to overcook the beef and/or cook them early in the day, store them in a metal container with warmed water, then briefly place them on the grill before serving. I swear, I haven't had a "Five Guys" quality burger from a chain since 1998.

Fries into soggy cardboard - McDonalds fries were ruined in two ways:

1) Lawsuit from a vegetarian group in the early 00's prompted them to remove the beef bullion flavor from the fries.

2) New York law in the mid 00's prompted most fast food chains to no longer use hydrogenized vegetable oil because it' bad for us. Fries haven't been crispy since.

Taco Bell Scare - Ecoli outbreak in the late 00's forced Taco Bell the permanently remove green onion from all of their food.

 

I only eat at fast food restruarants when I have to.

 

1. Burgers aren't placed in warm water. When I worked at McDonalds back in the early 00's, the patties were in a box, in a freezer. You had to place them on the grill in an S shape, then sprinkle seasoning on in an S shape, then press close the grill and press a timer.

 

2. Even as a kid I remember soggy fries, still my favorite.

 

3. Can you even tell the difference from the small ingredients you listed that were removed?

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I can't be the only one who hates it when people say "people eat that garbage?"..... heck I've been to some "fancy" restaurants that are well ranked... and thought their "high class" food tastes like trash... never got "high class" food myself, always thought overpriced for the portion size and always had presentation over actual quality and taste....

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1) You either don't live in the US or you have a really bad palette.

2) Yes, my burgers at home taste better because they don't sit in a vat of water all day.

3) It's easy; if you don't my complaint, don't read it. Just because you are an assistant manager (all three points of defense tells me that), doesn't mean your garbage tastes good.

I would rather give my money to a politician than dine in your dump.

 

McDonads still uses beef flavoring in their fries in the USA

 

current mcdonalds fries ingredients list.. and McDonalds burgers do not sit in water... neither do Five Guys, our local one cooks them to order, they never sit anywhere.... at all. no idea where you got that idea from.... one of those steamed burger joints?..

 

 

FRENCH FRIES:

Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives]*, Citric Acid

[Preservative]), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt. Prepared in Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean

Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid added to preserve freshness), Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.

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For some prospective, Mcdonalds is pretty pricey. My Chinese buffet, which is very good, costs $6.95 for lunch. Some McDonald meals are $7-8 and even higher.

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2) New York law in the mid 00's prompted most fast food chains to no longer use hydrogenized vegetable oil because it' bad for us. Fries haven't been crispy since.

 

I know right? I want heart disease with every portion of my fries. 

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2) New York law in the mid 00's prompted most fast food chains to no longer use hydrogenized vegetable oil because it' bad for us. Fries haven't been crispy since.

 

In PA, Ohio, WV, MD, VA, and NC a chain called Sheetz still uses trans fat based oil to fry their fries, they had a lot of flack for not switching, their owner basically said too bad don't buy them then you have a choice... also so does the Sonic Drive-In chain

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I very rarely eat at McDonalds and when I do its usually a craving for it or I have to eat right then and there. The food is hit or miss at McDonalds, sometimes its good sometimes its not so good. A couple of days ago I ordered a Habanero ranch burger and the fries that came with it were old tasting and had to send them back. They gave me steaming hot fries which were excellent after. Wendy's is a step up in quality from McDonalds, and I usually like eating there more.

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BOYCOTT McDonald's!!!! Eat at home and loose some weight!!!

sometimes when I read stuff like this I want to slam my head on the desk.... it has NOTHING TO DO WITH MCDONALDS, it's your metabolism and portions, eat at home you can get just as fat and unhealthy....

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Wendy's is a step up in quality from McDonalds, and I usually like eating there more.

I stopped eating at Wendy's after they switched their burgers, the new ones are just horrible.... the meat is the same weight but twice as thick and somehow more dense? what is going on there? the buns are bland, and our local one literally drenches the things in butter to the point your sandwich has to be wiped down before you touch it.... I miss the classics in the foil wrappers

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