Blue and white McDonald's wrappers are long-running extras, not Israel support | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·3 min read
5

The claim: McDonald’s changed its wrappers to support Israel

An Oct. 20 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a video of a woman pointing out the blue and white packaging in a fast food order that she claimed was a new political stance amid the Israel-Hamas war.

"This is obviously in support of Israel," the woman tells a McDonald's employee at an unspecified location. "This is the color of their flag."

The video's caption reads: “Some McDonald’s have begun to change their sandwich wrappers.”

It received more than 58,000 likes in one week. Another version of the claim received more than 4,000 shares on Facebook.

Fact check roundup: Israel-Hamas war sparks many misleading claims online. Here's what's true and false.

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Our rating: False

The wrapper shown in the video is one of several similar designs used for special orders, limited-edition products or temporary shortages of standard wrappers, McDonald’s said. The blue and white wrappers have been in use since well before the Israel-Hamas war.

Wrappers predate Israel-Hamas war, one of several color variations used for specific products

The fast food giant found itself at the center of controversy in light of the ongoing conflict after an Israeli McDonald's franchise owner said its restaurants would offer free food to Israeli soldiers and hospitals, the Washington Post reported. The move prompted criticism from other franchise owners in the Middle East and triggered talks of a boycott.

But the blue and white wrapper shown in this viral post has nothing to do with the war, and it is not "intended to make any political statement," said a McDonald's spokesperson who declined to be named.

The wrapper shown in the video has been used for years and is one of several color variations that denote special orders or limited-edition products or is used when there's a shortage of other wrappers, the spokesperson said.

One employee in the video states that they began using the blue wrapper a few months ago when they ran out of the usual ones, though a second employee says they changed the previous week.

The fast food chain does not have a statement about the Israel-Hamas war on its website or social media accounts.

Fact check: McDonald's ice cream does not contain xylitol, a substance toxic to dogs

This June 25, 2019, photo shows the sign outside a McDonald's restaurant in Pittsburgh. The McRib, the fast food sandwich that went viral before viral was a thing, is coming back.
This June 25, 2019, photo shows the sign outside a McDonald's restaurant in Pittsburgh. The McRib, the fast food sandwich that went viral before viral was a thing, is coming back.

USA TODAY has debunked a variety of claims surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, including that Egypt has sent “hundreds of tanks” into Gaza to fight Israel, that video shows protestors burning down the Israeli Embassy in Bahrain and that a video shows an Irish ambassador criticizing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in October 2023.

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Check Your Fact and Reuters also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

  • McDonald’s, Oct. 27, Email exchange with USA TODAY

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim McDonald's changed wrappers to support Israel | Fact check