McDonald’s Lawsuit Timeline

Before 2001:

July 23, 1990: McDonald’s announces that its french fries will be cooked in 100% vegetable oil.

May 5, 1993: McDonald’s letter to a customer claims their french fries are vegetarian.

1995: Vegetarian in Boulder, Colorado successfully sues Pasta Jay’s for claiming a marinara sauce was vegetarian when in fact it contained anchovies.

January 1998: Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) publishes article by Jeanne-Marie Bartas, "Vegan Menu Items at Fast Food and Family-Style Restaurants — Part 2," Vegetarian Journal, January/February 1998, documenting that McDonald’s french fries have an animal ingredient.

2001:

January: Eric Schlosser publishes Fast Food Nation, quoting from VRG and making information about beef in the french fries more widespread.

April 6: E-mail from McDonald’s confirming that french fries have beef in them is published by India-West.

May 1: Harish Bharti files suit in King County, Washington, alleging McDonald’s was not telling the truth about its french fries and hash browns.

May 4: Attacks on McDonald’s in India, including desecration of a statue of Ronald McDonald and breaking of windows.

May 15: Laboratory tests confirm that french fries in India do not contain beef.

May-June: Additional lawsuits against McDonald’s filed in California (May 10), Illinois (June 4), Texas (June 11), and New Jersey (June 27).

[September 11: Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.]

2002:

March 8: published reports of an impending settlement in the lawsuit.

April 26: agreement on a settlement is officially announced. $10 million is to be paid, including 60% going to "vegetarian groups."

May 1: Preliminary hearing on the lawsuit. Judge Siebel says that Muslims can be accommodated under the settlement.

September 24: Attorneys file a proposed allocation of funds, including allocation of some "vegetarian" money to Muslim groups, Tufts University, and UNC Department of Nutrition.

October 28, 29: Declarations attacking the settlement are filed by Colin Campbell, John McDougall, Rhoda Sapon, and Pat Fish. Many other declarations are also filed in the time period following.

October 30: Judge approves the settlement (but does not rule on allocation of funds).

December 11: VegSource web site publishes Jeff Nelson’s article, "Sleeping with the enemy," accusing VRG and NAVS of "aiding and abetting" McDonald’s in this case.

2003:

January 13 and 27: hearings on the proposed allocation of funds.

March 25: Judge Siebel throws out UNC Department of Nutrition as one of recipients.

May 19: Judge Siebel approves the revised allocation list.

June 16: Michael Hyman, attorney, files an appeal of allocation list on behalf of "prominent" members of the vegetarian community.

October: Hinduism Today publishes article with headline "McDonald’s Fries: Not Done Yet. $10 million settlement — including $250,000 for Hinduism Today — appealed."

December 10: fundraising appeal from the National Health Association denounces allocation of settlement money for Tufts, ADAF, and the Muslim groups as an "outrage"; suggests "at least $1 million" should go to the National Health Association.

December 11: appeals court receives the vegetarian appellants’ brief, which objects to all of the research organizations and to the "excessive" amounts of money allocated to the vegetarian groups.

2004:

March: VegNews article "The McDonald's Lawsuit: What's the Story?" appears in the March/April issue of VegNews.

2005:

March 31: Illinois Court of Appeals upholds the allocation of $10 million to the proposed recipients.