Claims that McDonald's not buying U.S. beef unfounded

A false rumor about Mc- Donald's restaurants continues to circulate via e-mail, but hasn't affected the company's El Campo restaurants.

The e-mails claim McDonald's is refusing to buy U.S. beef, is importing beef from South America that may be unsafe and asks for a boycott of McDonald's.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association recently has received a number of inquiries about the e-mail.

"I have seen the e-mails, but none of our customers have ever said anything," said Judy Malachowski, owner of both of El Campo's McDonald's restaurants.

"No, I don't think anyone around there would believe that. I think this is like a Montana/Wyoming thing, but that's just my perception."

The rumor has been circulating in various forms for at least five years and makes the claim the Texas Cattle Feeders Association originated the e-mail.

"Texas Cattle Feeders Association is not connected in any way with the e-mail you received," the association said in a statement.

"The e-mail … makes a false claim when it identifies Texas Cattle Feeders Association as the original source of the message. No such message has ever been put out by our organization.

"Unfortunately, we do not know the identity or motive of the person or persons making this improper use of our name."

The e-mail also represents Dr. David Forrest at Texas A&M University as the email's originator.

This also is said to be untrue. Forrest does not know how his name got associated with the rumor.

"I had nothing to do with composing this e-mail," Forrest said.

"The information it contains is false, and I do not support any of the actions called for in the e-mail."

The phone number listed for Forrest in the e-mail is, indeed, the number for the TAMU animal science department, which has received a large number of calls as a result of the currently circulating rumor.

The genesis of the e-rumor may be related to an announcement by McDonald's in 2002 that due to competitive issues, it was going to pilottest imported lean trim product from Australia and New Zealand in about 400 of its U.S. stores.

Major fast food chains use imported lean trim because - while there is a surplus of 50 percent lean trim in the U.S. - there is a shortage of 80 percent to 90 percent lean trim.

Imported lean beef is blended with trimmings from U.S. fed cattle to make beef patties for the quick-service restaurant chains.

McDonald's says it is the largest purchaser of U.S. beef, buying about 1 billion pounds annually.

In regard to beef from South America, only Uruguay can export fresh beef to the United States; all other South American beef must be in cooked or canned form due to foot-andmouth disease concerns.

The United States is the largest customer for beef from Australia, New Zealand, Central America and Uruguay and almost all of those imports are in the form of lean trim that is used in either quick-service hamburgers or case-ready frozen hamburger.

All plants that export beef to the United States are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and must maintain the equivalent Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points standards as U.S. packing plants. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service regularly audits these facilities. More information about the e-rumor can be found at the following links:

• www.snopes.com/politics/ business/mcdbeef.asp; or

• www.truthorfiction.com/ rumors/f/foreignbeef.htm.