CBC News
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Six vegetarians from British Columbia have joined forces with an American lawyer to sue McDonald's for using beef products in its french fries.
The suit is the latest in an unfolding story that has McDonald's apologizing on its U.S. Web site as vegetarians around the world have threatened to sue.
The apology is placed in the food facts section of the USA Web site. It states that McDonald's regrets " if customers felt that the information provided was not complete enough to meet their needs."
The site admits to preparing the French fries with beef flavouring to give it a "natural flavouring."
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada declared Thursday it has never claimed its fries were completely beef-free.
"In fact, at McDonald's Canada, we have always prepared our french fries in a blend of beef and vegetable oil. Furthermore, this information has always been readily available to our Canadian customers through our Food Facts brochure," said the statement.
McDonald's also adds "...the lawsuit filed in British Columbia is totally misguided and based on completely unfounded and incorrect information."
Riots in India over news of apology
"Nobody told me there was beef in the fries, so when I heard it, I was totally outraged, totally shocked," says Harjinder Kainth, one of the Canadians suing McDonald's.
Kainth says when he asked about the fries he was told "...yes, this is vegetarian potato fries."
The Canadian action will join one launched last month by lawyer Harish Bharti who filed a law suit in the U.S. against the Golden Arches. Bharti is a Hindu, a religion that venerates the cow as sacred.
Upon hearing news of the apology, protestors demonstrated in India, and attacked a McDonald's outlet in Bombay.
Local food officials declared they would test the fries.
The Web site insists Halal standards (meaning without pork or beef products) are met in mostly Muslim countries. The fast-food chain has also issued a statement in Britain that the fries are meat-free.
The company made a public display of changing to cooking its fries in vegetable oil in 1990, citing nutritional reasons.
