False Claims of Human Meat in McDonald’s Debunked

CLAIM: Human meat was allegedly found in the freezers of a meat factory in Oklahoma City associated with McDonald’s, and in about 90% of other inspected factories.

Assessment and Background

This claim is untrue and is identified as satire. No human remains have ever been discovered in McDonald’s factories. This story originated as a hoax in 2014 on a satirical website called Huzlers.com.

Details of the Viral Misinformation

On August 23, a Facebook page known for promoting conspiracy theories circulated a false post. The post claimed that human meat was found at a McDonald’s meat factory. It attracted over 51,000 views and went on to allege that the remains were of children and found in 90% of inspected facilities.

The Source of the Hoax

The information presented by the Facebook page called “The Hidden Truth” was linked to a post on Huzlers.com, a known satire blog. The original story from Huzlers lacked any credible sources or verification and was first published in March 2014.

McDonald’s Official Statement

According to McDonald’s, their hamburger patties contain 100% beef, as clearly stated on their official website.

AP’s Fact-Checking Initiative

This article is part of The Associated Press’ initiative to fact-check misinformation shared online. The AP collaborates with Facebook in efforts to identify false stories and reduce their distribution. Learn more about Facebook’s fact-checking program here.