Fries - Deadly or Not?

Last week there was a bit of controversy, and several folks sent the articles my way, about how French fries can kill you. Can they? Apparently I'm still alive and kicking, but might I be gone by next week?

First there was this article from WSOCTV, a 'news' station in Charlotte, South Carolina. I put 'news' in quotes not because of any political 'fake news' nonsense, but because they got this article on fried foods killing us, with a title that includes key words like 'could' and 'suggest,' from a content farm, these sites are usually click bait and of low research quality and veracity. Just saying. The WSOCTV website also includes a 'news' story about people who believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows. I think that should say all we need to know about WSOCTV news and their audience. Again, just saying. Feel free to read the article (both!) and enjoy.

Then there's this article, almost a direct rebuttal to the first about how potatoes won't actually kill you. This one is from some magazine called Popular Science, for those unaware, it's a science and technology magazine/website/network that has been around in some form or another for about a century and a half. They don't say fries are great for you, but they explain how data can be manipulated as in the article they refute. Fries are delicious, and great in moderation, and in combination with healthy diet and exercise.

So don't panic, folks, science is still on our side, as long as the current administration allows it to be…

Are We Really Running Out of French Fries?

Yeah, I'm doing that thing, that panic thing that news services do to get folks' attention, you know, like when the local news does that "one of these soft drinks can kill you, details at eleven." Let me clarify, there have been potato shortages in some parts of the world recently, but no, we are in no way running out of French fries any time soon. Not happening.

In Japan in December there was some concern due to contract disputes in the shipping industry here in the United States, as the US is the world's leading supplier of potatoes. This caused Japanese McDonald's to temporarily remove Large and Medium size fries from their menus.

Venezuela is having similar problems, but they seem to be more internal than external. You can read about that here. And just so you think it's just McDonald's, KFC is also taking heat.

Bottom line, while some international markets are having trouble staying in French fries, and potato chip prices are going up, we have lots of potatoes here in the US, and should be fine. We are not running out of French fries.

The Fast Food Strike

The big story today in the world of fast food, predominantly realm of the French fry, is the fast food strike.

Workers at many of the major fast food outlets - including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell, and many others - are choosing to protest and/or walk out today as a measure to gain higher wages.

Fast food restaurants unfortunately are notorious for their minimum wages and low pay rates. Some workers cannot afford rent or to take care of themselves or their kids. Think about that next time you order fries at your favorite fast food place.

Trail of Potato Chips Helps Nab Thief

My buddy Ray hipped me to this one from the Huffington Post, recently and inexplicably a cornucopia of potato-related news here on French Fry Diary.

The suspect robbed a Subway of several salty snacks and inadvertently left a trail for police with them. The full story can be found here.

Thanks, Ray!

Mom Beat by Son Over French Fries

McCain Introduces Masala Fries

One of the world's leading manufacturers of frozen French fries, McCain, is introducing a new product into some of its markets - Masala Fries.

From PotatoPro: "McCain Foods India Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of McCain Foods Ltd. Canada, has introduced a unique product - Masala Fries for the Institutional customers. The product has been introduced at Hosts 2010 being held in Mumbai annually. It is India’s first and largest hospitality tradeshow.

"McCain Masala Fries are SuperCrisp French Fries coated with a special Indian-style spicy seasoning. They are ideal for catering, fast food and restaurants as they deliver excellent hold time and perfect cost control.

"McCain Foods India Pvt. Ltd. currently offers wide variety of mouth-watering products, best suited for the Indian consumer, like Aloo Tikki, Tandoori Vege Nuggets and Vege Burgers apart from popular products like French Fries, Smiles, Savoury Potato Wedges, Hashbrowns etc."

Mmmm... Masala fries... Can't wait until they're available in the States, and to the public, they should go great with curry!

Always Share Your French Fries…

From the Newark Post:

Mom beaten with aluminum bat after she fails to share French fries with son

By Carl Hamilton
Published: Thursday, May 21, 2009 1:26 PM CDT

A 16-year-old Port Deposit, Md. teen beat his mother with an aluminum bat during a tantrum triggered by her refusal to share her French fries, police said. The 52-year-old woman suffered injuries that put her in the hospital. Police charged her son, Dennis Floyd Hickman III, as an adult.

Read the rest of the article here.


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French Fry Grease Helps Nab Thief

French Fry Grease Helps Nab Thief

Teen tries to rob the wrong food stand at Wyalusing carnival, police and owner say.

August 16, 2007

By George Osgood
gosgood@stargazette.com
Star-Gazette Wellsboro Bureau


WYALUSING -- There are all kind of non-lethal, high-tech ways to apprehend suspected criminals these days: Tasers, shotgun-propelled beanbags, pepper spray, stun guns, flash-bang grenades, even ultra-quick-drying epoxy.

Now you can add another one, though perhaps not so high-tech: greasy french fries.

At least that was the weapon of choice when a 17-year-old from Lake Winola, near Clarks Summit, tried to run off with the cash box from the french fry concession at the Wyalusing Firemen's Carnival Tuesday night, police said.

Thanks to quick action and an "instinctive" heave by Marvin Meteer, a retired English teacher, the bold juvenile ended up in handcuffs instead of a getaway car. It's also a good example proving once again the adage that booze and fries don't mix.

Meteer tells it this way.

"Tuesday is the first night of our Firemen's Carnival," said Meteer, who, though he is not a firefighter, runs the fry booth with wife Maxine, daughter Melissa and several friends.

"This was close to 10 o'clock," he said. "We had been really busy for hours, but things had started to taper off. Normally, we sell a ton of french fries. But business was dwindling. A guy had come up to the stand and just kind of stood there," Meteer said. "Our helpers had gone, so it was just my wife and me and Melissa. She asked him if he wanted anything, and he said he was just thinking."

He left. Maxine was talking with the carnival manager, and the youth returned, accompanied by another boy this time.

"They didn't stand together, though," Meteer said. "The other guy just stood off to the side. And she asked him again if there was something she could get him, and he said, 'Yeah. I'll take an order of pierogis.' She said, 'Well, we don't have pierogis here. That's another booth.' The other guy said he would take an order of cheese fries.

"So she gets the cheese fries for him, and I'm looking at this other guy from the back of the tent, and I'm thinking, 'What does he want?'

"All of a sudden, quick as a flash, he ducks under the front counter and slams his hands down on the cash box and takes off to the side," Meteer said.

Melissa tried for a handful of shirt, but the youth was big and strong, "really rugged," Meteer said.

"I think he intended to go out an opening in the back of our booth, and I was headed around that way," Meteer said. "So instead of going out that way, he went to duck under the back counter and when he did that, I don't know, it was just an instinctive thing. I took one of the baskets we cook our fries in and I threw the fries at him, but not the basket.

"So anyway, he had the cash box at that point, and when he came up on the other side of the counter is when the fries rained down on him," Meteer said. "He hit those fries and they were just greasy enough that he started to slip and slide, and that gave me enough time to get around the end of the counter and a couple of guys who were there began wrestling him to the ground."

The youth threw the cash box. Maxine scooped it up. And began screaming.

"That was exactly the right thing to do," Meteer said. "That got the attention of many people. A lot of people came running, thinking that maybe one of the fryers had blown up and I had gotten burned. We all worked together and wrestled this guy to the ground and pinned him there. The first thing he said was, 'It wasn't me. I didn't do it.' I just said, 'Right.'"

Cheese-fry-guy had parked a car just behind the fry booth and waited there with the passenger door open, police said. When his buddy went down, he took off. A bystander got his license number, but no charges had been filed against him Wednesday.

The 17-year-old smelled of alcohol (and fries). The fire company president called state police.

"The guy said, 'My friend talked me into it, and I'm just a blankety-blank,'" Meteer said. "It was an interesting evening."

When State Trooper Brian W. Atherholt arrived, the crowd applauded. He handcuffed the youth and searched him, then took him away, embarrassed, in trouble and greasy. But it could have been worse.

He could have tried to rob the pierogi stand.