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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, May 21, 2003: A Cook County judge has named 24 groups to divide a US$10 million settlement from McDonald’s over beef-laced french fries, resolving a dispute about which organizations would share in the awards. The ruling Monday by Circuit Judge Richard Siebel followed months of legal wrangling since Oak Brook-based McDonald’s agreed to the payment last year. The settlement was intended to make amends to customers who unwittingly ate the fries cooked in beef-flavored oil during the 1990s, when the burger chain had said it used only pure vegetable oil. Lawsuits filed in Illinois and other states charged the restaurant chain deceived people who don’t eat meat for personal or religious reasons. McDonald’s offered 60 percent of the settlement to vegetarian groups, 20 percent to Hindu and Sikh groups, 10 percent to children’s nutrition and hunger-relief efforts and 10 percent to promoting understanding of kosher practices. Last month, Siebel rejected three proposed groups, but he added the Hillel Jewish group.



HPI adds: The list of organization receiving funds was also released by the courts. There is an unlikely chance of appeal which could change this list. They are, along with the dollar amount and percentage of the total as follows:



Vegetarian Organizations, total: US$6,000,000.00

1. Vegetarian Resource Group $1,400,000 [14.0%]

2. ADAF Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group $600,000 [6.0%]

3. Preventive Medicine Research Institute $550,000 [5.5%]

4. North American Vegetarian Society $1,000,000 [10.0%]

5. Vegetarian Vision, Inc. $250,000 [2.5%]

6. The American Vegan Society $500,000 [5.0%]

7. Loma Linda University $300,000 [3.0%]

8. Tufts University $850,000 [8.5%]

9. Muslim Consumer Group For Food Products $100,000 [1.0%]

10. Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) $450,000 [4.5%]



Hindu/Sikh Organization, total: $2,000,000

11. International / American Gita Society $50,000 [0.5%]

12. Hindu Heritage Endowment $250,000 [2.5%]

13. SEED (Supporting Excellence in Education) $900,000 [9.0%]

14. Council of Hindu Temples of North America $200,000 [2.0%]

15. SSV Temple $50,000 [0.5%]

16. Guru Harkrishan Institute of Sikh Studies $50,000 [0.5%]

17. Hindu Students Council $500,000 [5.0%]



Kosher Groups, total: $1,000,000

18. Jewish Community Centers Association $200,000 [2.0%]

19. Orthodox Union $150,000 [1.5%]

20. Star_K/Torah.Org $300,000 [3.0%]

21. CLAL $50,000 [0.5%]

22. The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life (Hillel) $300,000 [3.0%]



Children’s Groups, total: $1,000,000

23. Produce for Better Health Foundation $500,000 [5.0%]

24. CDC’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity $500,000 [5.0%]



Hinduism Today magazine is planning a story on the settlement, and would like the organizations to e-mail ar@hindu.org their plans for their share.

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