re: McDonald's fries:
Check out
http://www.mcdonalds.com/food/ingredients/index.html
It lists only vegetable oils as the oils used for cooking and
coating. So, although they are made with partially hydrogenated
fat and preservatives, they are vegetarian. (There is a note at
the top of the page stating that slight variations in ingredients
due to region, season of the year, etc, may occur, though.)
This topic caught my eye, because my first job was at
McDonald's as a teenager. My first summer there they
switched from the lard/veg oil mix for frying to the 100 % vegetable
oil. I will never forget the smell of the lard block when that was
used. Possibly the worst smell of anything food item I've
experienced. (After working there I found the beef & pork
unappealing altogether, though.)
Well, I'd better go now before I go into my
"smells-of-fast-food-cooking-all-day" story or my favorite
"how-much-fat-is-in-that" tirade that I've bored all my friends
and family with over the past 10+ years. :-)
-- Kelly
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