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Cautious consumers wary of McDonald’s free McNuggets, fear of tainted chicken lingers

Evie Nyan Oct 24, 2014
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Recently, we brought you the news that McDonald’s Japan is offering free chicken nuggets in a bid to restore consumer good will in the wake of the “Chickengate” scandal. As reported, expired Chinese chicken found its way into a range of fast food eateries’ products, sparking public fears of food poisoning. We’ve been curious as to how many people jumped at the chance for free but potentially tainted nuggets, (although McDonald’s Japan has now switched their chicken supplier from China to Thailand) and how many decided to steer clear. Luckily for us, Livedoor has conducted a survey of 1,000 participants to see how many would be willing to cash in a free chicken coupon. The results are… kind of a mix.

First off, here’s the figures: 58.5 percent of participants claimed that they would not eat the nuggets, whether they were free or not. The remaining 41.5 percent were less cautious, voting that they would eat the nuggets as long as they were free. While these results show that the more fearful eaters don’t exactly form an overwhelming majority, they’re still divided enough to prove that public confidence in tasty nuggets has been seriously rocked by Chickengate. Here’s what some of the survey participants had to say:

“There’s nothing more costly than something that’s free.”

“No, I won’t eat them, because I’ve already decided never to eat there again.”

“As long as they keep using products from disreputable sources, not a single nugget shall pass my lips.”

“It’s too easy to see that they’re fine with using dodgy meat. It’s a total no-go.”

“I won’t let my kids eat them, but after doing some research, I think they’re okay for me to eat, lol.”

“Perhaps this means they’re now focusing more on food safety? Erm… maybe?”

Not exactly words to inspire confidence, but hey, at least 41.5 percent would gladly still chow down. That’s better than nothing!

▼ Crispy, juicy… tainted?

It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that Livedoor’s survey participants aren’t necessarily regular Makku customers, and might be generally less inclined to risk a world of stomach pain or worse just to get their paws on some hot, juicy nuggets. After all, the nugget coupons can only be obtained by getting a pamphlet free when you order other stuff at McDonald’s, which kind of indicates that you’re already okay with eating there.

What do you think, readers? Would you jump at the chance for free nuggets? Are folks in Japan being too over-cautious? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Livedoor
Images: Wikimedia Commons (Thegreenj), McDonald’s Japan