You can have only McD's Fries while you are at the Olympic Park! (Image Courtesy: Flickr)

US fast food giant McDonald’s has bagged the exclusive rights to sell French fries and chips during the 2012 London Olympics, implying that none of the other 800 participating retailers can sell French fries in the 40 Olympics sites during the fortnight of the Games.

Other caterers are allowed to sell chips with fish, but not chips alone or chips with any other item. But if spectators wish to eat anything other than just fish with chips, they would have to walk into McDonald’s. Apart from McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Cadbury and Heineken will be allowed to sell branded foods at the event. Local vendors and restaurants will supply the remaining delicacies such as fried cod and potatoes.

The selection of McDonald’s as the Summer Games’ official restaurant has come under fire from critics who blame the chain’s Quarter Pounders, fries and shakes for bloating obesity rates in the UK. Health advocates are particularly worried about McDonald’s’ plan to open its largest-ever restaurant at Olympic Park. The restaurant is a 1,500-seat mammoth structure which is expected to sell some 50,000 Big Macs a day.

Meanwhile, the London Organising Committee has responded to the grievances of the chip-hungry staff working on the opening and closing ceremonies, by allowing chips to be served to them outside branches of McDonald’s.

On Wednesday, catering staff in the media centre of the Olympic Park were taking no risks. There were hash browns and dauphinoise, but no chips. A server explained why, “Because McDonald’s own the rights, so we’re not allowed to.”

By monopolising certain food items during a huge event such as the 2012 London Olympics, is McDonald’s trading health for sales?

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