The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The allegation that Burger King has been supplying consumers with burgers and whoppers contaminated with horsemeat is one of the most discussed issues in various media outlets. When the scandal erupted, Burger King remained adamant that its products were safe for consumption. However, the analysis of the content of burgers and whoppers in various outlets of the fast-food chain in the United Kingdom revealed the Company’s unethical conduct.

Also, police investigations exposed a slaughterhouse owner at the center of the horsemeat scandal who slaughtered animals that horse owners considered unfit to race. Investigations confirmed that the slaughterhouse provided the meat Silvercrest used to produce Burger King’s products (Poulter, 2013).

The horse DNA in Burger King’s products raised doubts on the ability to verify the safety of the Company’s products considering that a different company, Silvercrest, processed the burgers and whoppers. The fact that Silvercrest processed contaminated burgers for other fast food chains such as Tesco and Co-op clearly illustrates that the problem at Burger King began in the processing stage of its products.

The lack of Burger King’s engagement in the processing of its products made the Company vulnerable to the impacts of unorthodox practices by Silvercrest. In this regard, Burger King had limited control over the quality of products obtained from the company responsible for processing its products.

Burger King overlooked the fact that Silvercrest had the independence to operate within a scope outside Burger king’s policies. Thus, the Company altered the recommended ingredients to increase its profits without considering the impact the unethical practices would have on fast food chains.

The protests regarding the horsemeat contamination had significant effects on Burger King’s reputation since consumers had entrusted the fast-food chain with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of customers who bought the Company’s burgers and whoppers. As soon as the Company learned that its products contained horse DNA, it withdrew the remarks that Burger King’s products did not contain portions of horsemeat.

The Company’s decision to accept the flaw in its products depicts the truthfulness in its vision to maintain customers’ trust in Burger King’s products. The Burger King management provided customers with details regarding the horsemeat scandal and thus mitigated the impacts on its reputation and future endeavors.

Although Burger King was keen on protecting its reputation, Silvercrest sought to maximize profits by compromising on the quality of the products it processed. The fact that unethical conduct by one company can have multiple effects on other companies raises concerns on the need for enterprises such as Burger King to adopt systems, procedures, and policies that grant them control over the activities of all parties involved in the production.

Burger King decided to transfer the processing of its products to another party to increase the Company’s economies of scale. However, the horsemeat scandal illustrates that Burger King overlooked the threats on its reputation were Silvercrest to default its code of conduct.

The damage on Burger King’s reputation was significant considering that the fast-food chain is a multinational company. Burger King’s decision to withdraw its products from the UK stores once it learned about the contamination was crucial in preventing further damages to the Company’s reputation. Burger King’s reputation would have suffered adversely had the Company remained silent on the horsemeat issue.

References

Poulter, S. (2013). . Home | Mail Online. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, May 9). The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-burger-king-company-horsemeat-scandal/

Work Cited

"The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal." IvyPanda, 9 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/the-burger-king-company-horsemeat-scandal/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal'. 9 May.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal." May 9, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-burger-king-company-horsemeat-scandal/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal." May 9, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-burger-king-company-horsemeat-scandal/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Burger King Company Horsemeat Scandal." May 9, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-burger-king-company-horsemeat-scandal/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1