Big Macs = earthworm meat. True or false?

[smartt]

People say that the meat of your average Big Mac comes not from cows, but from earthworms.

Well, that sounds pwetty logical in some ways:

• Meat is, basically, meat. Human meat, cow meat, rabbit meat - well, earth-creatures meat is pratically the same under a microscope. So I guess they can easily engineer some kind of earthworm that provides a good quantity of edible and non-infected meat.

• Earthworms are easier to manage and cheaper than cattle.

Well, I’m not repulsed by the idea of eating earthworms in my Big Mac. Meat is meat and that’s not the question I’m posing here. What I want to know is:

Big Macs are made with earthworm meat? Yes or no? True or false?

[Satan]

What the fuck do you think?

:rolleyes: :wally :rolleyes:

---

Yer pal,
Satan

*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Six months, four weeks, 4 hours, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
8448 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,056.04.
Extra time with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 0 minutes.

David B used me as a cite!*

[smartt]

*Originally posted by Satan *
What the fuck do you think?

How should I know? Fact: it sounds logical, and even some McDonald’s employees say that, yes, it’s earthworm meat.

But then, why it CANNOT be earthworm meat? A lot of oriental tribes eat bugs and earthworms. We may think that bugs are ew, but that’s just a culture thing: we’re supposed to picture grasshoppers and ants as disgusting buggers. But in China (I think), they’re food. Plain and simple food, no questions about it, it’s a fact of life.

Of course, I seriously doubt that McDonalds would advertise their Big Macs as “Pure 100% Earthworm Meat”, cause the image is not exactly yummy for the ocidental mind. But then again, this is a cultural issue.

If I do think that I’m eating MacWorms? Well, yes. Does that makes my stomach turns? Hell, no.

But that’s beside the point. Big Macs = earthworm meat. True? False? I wanna know.

[andygirl]

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/wormburg.htm

I humbly suggest that you go and read every single bit of snopes. Take notes. Think about it.

While you’re at it, look up “fact”.

[Kamino_Neko]

*Originally posted by smartt *
- Earthworms are easier to manage and cheaper than cattle.

No, they’re not. They’re significantly more expensive, pound-per-pound. About 4X, to be precise.

Also, one would NOTICE that the burgers have rather a different consistancy, and flavour.

Beef, pork, chicken, emu, buffalo, snake, gator, worm - all have different sorts of consistancies and flavours. The cooking would only enhance the former.

Anyway, snopes debunked the whole thing here.

[smartt]

Sorry, I know the Snopes take on it and, well, it SAYS that “Pound for pound, earthworms cost more than beef – it doesn’t make sense to use a filler that’s more expensive than what’s being replaced”. Well, thay SAY that - but they don’t present numbers or facts to prove it.

My uncle has an earthworm farm. No, he doesn’t sell it to McDonalds, and no McDonald’s employee came to him asking for meat. But here’s the things he said to me:

1. Yes, he raises earthworms for extraction of meat. And the meat is sold to countries of the orient.
2. No, earthworms aren’t more expensive than cattle. Maybe in 1978. But not today.

[2nd_Law]

*Originally posted by smartt *
2) No, earthworms aren’t more expensive than cattle. Maybe in 1978. But not today.

Got a cite for that, ssmart? That earthworms are chaeper per pound than hamburger (which I can get here in Chicago for $.99 a pound) ?
Or are you babbling about prices in Brazil or wherever the heck you’ve claimed you live?

[Kamino_Neko]

*Originally posted by smartt *
Well, thay SAY that - but they don’t present numbers or facts to prove it.

Oh, really?

Perhaps the final word on this subject should belong to Ray Kroc as quoted in the 30 April 1992 issue of Time:
Ray Kroc, who bought McDonald’s from Mac and Dick McDonald in 1955, added his own assurances: “We couldn’t afford to grind worms into our meat,” he countered. “Hamburger costs a dollar and a half a pound, and night crawlers six dollars.”

Numbers from 1992.

You, on the other hand have NOT presented numbers to support your assertion.

Ball’s on your court.

[BobT]

Wouldn’t a beef/earthworm mixture cost more to prepare than just using beef? It seems to me that adding worms would add an extra step to the process and you would have to add an awful lot of them to make it worthwhile.

Also, McDonalds buys a lot of beef. Quite possibly more than most other entities in the world. Don’t you think that they can get a good price for beef? And if they used earthworms routinely wouldn’t there need to be a lot more earthworm production than you see now?

Compare how many bait shops you see to McDonald’s for a rough estimate.

[yojimbo]

For real issues with McDonalds you can find out lots at http://www.mcspotlight.org/ which is a site born from the McLibel trial.

You’ve already been given links to http://www.snopes.com but you really really really need to use http://www.google.com & http://www.metacrawler.com or some form of search engine a bit more.

[smartt]

*Originally posted by 2nd Law *
**

*Originally posted by smartt *
2) No, earthworms aren’t more expensive than cattle. Maybe in 1978. But not today.

Got a cite for that, smart? That earthworms are chaeper per pound than hamburger (which I can get here in Chicago for $.99 a pound)?**

Two pounds of earthworms, in my uncle’s farm, costs about 60 cents.

[Major_Feelgud]

Two pounds of earthworms might cost 60 cents. But think of the cost of preparing it, of getting the sand out, or the cost of bribing people to keep it a secret. McD’s sell a ton of burgers a day, how many earthworms do you think they need to buy? And what about all those cattle ranches in Texas or Argentina? You think they’re keeping the cattle as pets? Sorry, IMHO, the OP is just plain stupid. I’d like to echo Satan’s comment.

[smartt]

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Tengu *
**

*Originally posted by smartt *
Well, thay SAY that - but they don’t present numbers or facts to prove it.

Oh, really?

Yeah, really.

Perhaps the final word on this subject should belong to Ray Kroc as quoted in the 30 April 1992 issue of Time:

Ray Kroc, who bought McDonald’s from Mac and Dick McDonald in 1955, added his own assurances: “We couldn’t afford to grind worms into our meat,” he countered. "Hamburger costs a dollar and a half a pound, and night crawlers six dollars."

Numbers from 1992.

Oh yeah, numbers from 92.

And who said that?

THE FUCKING OWNER OR McDONALD’S!!!

So, what do you expect him to say? “Oh, we know a nice guy in Sorocaba, Brazil; he has an earthworm farm and two pounds of nice worm meat costs 60 cents; so, from now on, all of our Big Macs will be made of this delicious and nutritive, earth-dwelling, dietetic and highly higienic bug!”

Well, duh, I don’t think so.

You, on the other hand have NOT presented numbers to support your assertion.

Two pounds: 60 cents, roughly.

[Major_Feelgud]

I now recognize smartt’s name from some other topic. I think he will shortly be known for asking asinine questions.

And praytell, which country in the “Orient” buys earthworms? Don’t they have their own? Or American earthworms are just juicier? If that’s the case, why not just import a few and start your own earthworm farm. Why bother importing?

Enough said.

[smartt]

*Originally posted by Major Feelgud *
**But think of the cost of preparing it, of getting the sand out, or the cost of bribing people to keep it a secret. **

Methinks you’re watching too much X-Files.

Getting the SAND out? They don’t grow in beaches, dude. All you have to do is put the earthworms a the stream of hot water for cleaning, and then pass 'em thru a kind of big-ass meat grinder. I’ve seen how it’s done. It’s more complex and hygienic than my description, but let’s just say that it’s far more practical (and faster) than removing the leather, hoofs, horns, bones, etc of a cow.

And about bribing people to keep it a secret, what do you mean? Earthworm Farms are a legit business. It’s not like Area 51.

[lesa]

You say you aren’t grossed out by the idea of eating worms. You also say your uncle owns a worm farm. So grind up some worms and make a worm burger. See if it tastes like a hamburger.

[smartt]

*Originally posted by Major Feelgud *
And praytell, which country in the “Orient” buys earthworms? Don’t they have their own? Or American earthworms are just juicier? If that’s the case, why not just import a few and start your own earthworm farm. Why bother importing?

Of course they have earthworms of their own. But you need expertise to grow 'em, groom 'em and process the meat. Same as a cow. Having a cow in your backyard doesn’t make you a farmer.

And if you think my questions are asinine, then you’re invited NOT to look at my posts. Simple as that. You can know they’re mine cause they have the word ‘smartt’ on the side.

Nuff said.

[smartt]

*Originally posted by lesa *
**You say you aren’t grossed out by the idea of eating worms. You also say your uncle owns a worm farm. So grind up some worms and make a worm burger. See if it tastes like a hamburger. **

Okay. I’m doing that next time I’m in Sorocaba. Then I’ll tell you.

Wussies.

[Major_Feelgud]

smartt: Methinks you’re a 12 year old boy. So if you’re substituting earthworm meat for beef, you don’t think you oughta keep a lid on it? You don’t mind people knowing? Since you’re Brazilian, you may not know something called class action lawsuite which in this case can run into a few billion dollars. Much more money can be saved from using earthworm meat. Think!

And you think transporting earthworms from Brazil to the US will be cheap? Call up a freight company tomorrow and find out. You are spoiling for a fight aren’t you? In the future, you might want to put all your posts in the Flame Pit, where I can use language you’ll understand better.

[smartt]

*Originally posted by Major Feelgud *
**smartt: Methinks you’re a 12 year old boy. **

You missed by 20 years. But that’s not the point.

So if you’re substituting earthworm meat for beef, you don’t think you oughta keep a lid on it?

Of course. But it’s MCDONALD’S that needs to put out the money to keep a lid on things, not my uncle. My uncle sells earthworm meat. McDonald’s sells hamburgers.

Since you’re Brazilian, you may not know something called class action lawsuite which in this case can run into a few billion dollars. Much more money can be saved from using earthworm meat. Think!

I don’t get it. Earthworm meat is… meat! And it’s not an illegal kind of meat. It’s meat, just like horse meat or rabbit meat. Of course, the difference is on your mind. Cows: four legged bovines, make milk, moo, they’re cute. Worms: ew! Gross gross puke puke!

I’m not saying that McDonald’s burgers are REALLY made of earthworm meat. But what if they are? You can be sued for it? As I said, it’s STILL meat. And the difference is cultural, not technical.

And you think transporting earthworms from Brazil to the US will be cheap? Call up a freight company tomorrow and find out.

As I said, unca doesn’t sell LIVE earthworms. He sells EARTHWORM MEAT. And the cost of transporting, like, a ton of earthworm meat is EXACTLY the same of a ton of cow meat.

You are spoiling for a fight aren’t you?

No. I’m just presenting hard facts. You? You’re just being a Mister Know-It-All. So far, I’ve presented all the facts proving that, yes, earthworms can be turned into cheap meat. And to make your stomach even sicker, those aren’t small earthworms like the ones from your garden; they’re as big as snakes, and each worm provides two or three kilos of meat.

McDonald’s burgers are make of earthworm meat? I DON’T KNOW! But it is impossible? No, it’s not. Earthworm meat is more expensive than cow meat? No, it’s not. Are you being a 12 y/o child in denial cuz your favourite burger may be (note it well: MAY be - I’m not saying that they really are) made of lousy stinky disgusting worms? Yes, you are.

You can flame me with all the bad words you know. Be a child. Me, I’m a perfectly good adult, smarter than the average bear, and I only argue with hard facts, not whining. Grow up!