# McDonalds your milk shake machine is not broken! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970 "2006-08-02T03:51:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/41 "2006-08-02T18:01:22Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > Since when has McDonalds severed “milkshakes”? For as long as I can remember milk has had nothing to do with them. I’m always a bit amazed at the number of ULs that show up on the SDMB. (No offense, adam) > **[Do McDonald's Shakes Contain Yucky Non-Food Substances?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/a-fair-shake/)** > > Do McDonald's beverages contain yucky non-food substances? ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/42 "2006-08-02T20:04:08Z")
Speaking of milkshake-like-beverages and large, soulless corporations, IMO a Vanilla Creme Frappucino from Starbucks tastes almost exactly like vanilla soft serve ice cream. Just for future reference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/43 "2006-08-02T20:22:13Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > You could go to Arlington for soft serve, but the whole point of getting ice cream is to do it when you’re sweating your ass off in the middle of the day, not after a lovely 20 minute air conditioned subway ride. Try Dickie’s Frozen Custard at 1710 I. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/44 "2006-08-02T20:52:23Z")
Finally, a topic that’s guaranteed to whip up the anger of the masses during the dog days of summer. > [@jayjay](#): > > Whenever I see Carvel mentioned, I can’t help but hear Tom Carvel’s gravel-voice saying “Fudgie the Whale” and “Cookie Puss”. Not to many people realize there’s a [in Atlanta. My Ex-Mother-in-law attended. The old family rumor is the dean expelled her for drawing an icing penis on Cookie Puss. > [@The Swan](#): > > …[url=http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/mcdshake.htm]Shake Ingredients](]Carvel College[/url) > [@Snopes Link](#): > > Whole milk, sucrose, cream, nonfat milk solids, corn syrup solids, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, imitation vanilla flavor, carrageenan, cellulose gum, vitamin A palmitate. Ignorance fought: I had a professor who claimed the main ingredient in their Thick Shakes was kelp. Unless carrageenan or cellulose gum are derived from seaweed, he was blowing smoke up our ass. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/45 "2006-08-02T21:05:39Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > Ignorance fought: I had a professor who claimed the main ingredient in their Thick Shakes was kelp. Unless carrageenan or cellulose gum are derived from seaweed, he was blowing smoke up our ass. Carrageenan **is** derived from seaweed. But it **isn’t** a major ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/46 "2006-08-02T21:05:54Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > Unless carrageenan or cellulose gum are derived from seaweed, he was blowing smoke up our ass. [pssst](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_097b.html) ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/47 "2006-08-02T21:12:01Z")
Danke. To both simul-posters ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/48 "2006-08-02T21:35:04Z")
Am I invisible? See post #23. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/49 "2006-08-02T21:41:05Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Am I invisible? See post #23. :does doubletake: Holy shit!! Where’d YOU come from?? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/50 "2006-08-02T21:59:20Z")
> [@Uvula Donor](#): > > :does doubletake: Holy shit!! Where’d YOU come from?? Why, post #23, which is conveniently located at the Center of the Universe. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/51 "2006-08-02T22:27:02Z")
If you’re peeved at the particular restaurant, particularly if it’s a recurring problem, you could [drop a dime to corporate](http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.custsat.custsat_form.html). I’m sure that corporate will investigate, as this sort of stuff is covered in their franchise policies, and they take violations of those very seriously. Also, corporations like to give merchandise certificates and the like to those who report legitimate complaints with their stores. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/52 "2006-08-03T01:07:47Z")
[QUOTE=JohnBckWLD] had a professor who claimed the main ingredient in their Thick Shakes was kelp. [/QUOTE] Considering its position on that list, it’s not the main ingredient. This isn’t unusual, I use “irish moss” (a kelp variety) to clarify homebrewed beer, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![nmbnmbnm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d6d6ee/32.png) [@nmbnmbnm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nmbnmbnm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/53 "2006-08-03T01:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Billdo] If you’re peeved at the particular restaurant, particularly if it’s a recurring problem, you could [drop a dime to corporate](http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.custsat.custsat_form.html). I’m sure that corporate will investigate, as this sort of stuff is covered in their franchise policies, and they take violations of those very seriously. Also, corporations like to give merchandise certificates and the like to those who report legitimate complaints with their stores. [/QUOTE] I am going to do it. Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/54 "2006-08-03T03:14:13Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] Whenever I see Carvel mentioned, I can’t help but hear Tom Carvel’s gravel-voice saying “Fudgie the Whale” and “Cookie Puss”. [/QUOTE] I only remember the “Irish” accent for everyone’s favorite seasonal treat, “Cookie O’Puss”. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/55 "2006-08-03T05:48:05Z")
Carrageenan is made from seaweed. It is a thickener. I use it when marbeling paper. It does not have an objectionable odor, so I don’t know what the big deal is, what would you rather have in your beverage, horse hooves? ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/56 "2006-08-03T07:03:54Z")
[QUOTE=Dottygumdrop] I used to work at McD’s when I was in high school. Did an “open” one morning, which includes setting up the soft serve/shake machine. Well, I opened up the back of the machine to load in the shake and soft serve mixes and was HIT with an horrendous stench - the f\*cker who had closed the night before must have been on a “punch out by X o’clock or else” trip, because the back of the machine (yes, where the mix gets poured in) was crawling with maggots! :eek: It took me about an hour just to clean it out properly! Never had a McD’s shake or soft serve since then! But you go ahead - enjoy!!! 😃😃 [/QUOTE] Goddamn, that’s disgusting. That store must have been generally pretty filthy for flies to even get in there, much less lay a bunch of eggs in the shake mix and left alone for several days. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/57 "2006-08-03T07:48:38Z")
All of this makes me realize how lucky we are to have several Steak ‘n’ Shake locations around town. Best milkshakes ever. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/58 "2006-08-03T11:28:32Z")
We had the same problem around here until a 24 hour McDonalds opened up 4 miles from here. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/59 "2006-08-03T12:11:23Z")
[QUOTE=Bambi Hassenpfeffer] Well, if they do this and the owner (franchise) or regional manager (corporate) comes in and see it, there will be ugliness. AFAIK – and I speak not as one who works at McDonald’s, but has worked retail grocery for many, many years – they’re supposed to wait until the restaurant closes before breaking it down. They want to go home earlier, so they do it earlier. [/QUOTE] Having worked in retail for many years, I certainly understand the line of thought (don’t want a regional manager coming in and seeing a sign saying “We don’t serve shakes after 8:00 pm”), but what if the same manager is in and overhears a counter monkey telling a customer that the machine’s broken, but knows it’s being cleaned and it’s only 8:00? Or if he’s in the store and realizes the milkshake machine is being broken down and cleaned that early? Would they just hold off till the RM is gone? ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970/60 "2006-08-03T14:54:56Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] what if the same manager is in and overhears a counter monkey telling a customer that the machine’s broken, but knows it’s being cleaned and it’s only 8:00? Or if he’s in the store and realizes the milkshake machine is being broken down and cleaned that early? Would they just hold off till the RM is gone? [/QUOTE] I don’t know for McDonald’s. I do know that in one of my stores (a grocery chain), if the district manager overheard something like that in re (for example) the sandwich press, he’d probably turn to the customer and say, “Let me go take a look at it and see if we can’t help you.” And then go make whatever it was the customer wanted and give it away for no charge. Then would come some sort of discipline for whichever manager was running the department. But we’re customer-focused like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-your-milk-shake-machine-is-not-broken/366970.md?page=4)