Food & Beverage

McDonald's ice cream machines reportedly under FTC scrutiny

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September 3, 2021

The Federal Trade Commission wants to know why McDonald's ice cream machines are reportedly always broken — a topic that is now late-night-talk-show fodder and the subject of a Web site that tracks broken machines across the country. The ice cream machines are known for being difficult to repair, causing some franchisees to train staff to repair the machines themselves, according to a The Wall Street Journal report.

Research firm Technomic Inc. said the broken ice cream machines account for 60% of the company's dessert sales, including soft-serve cones, milkshakes and its signature McFlurrys — ice cream blended with candy and snack pieces. The FTC declined to comment when contacted by the The Wall Street Journal.

McDonald's told Insider it has no reason to believe the company is under investigation.

"Intrinsic to the interest in our soft serve machines is our fans' love of McDonald's iconic McFlurry desserts and shakes," a McDonald's spokesperson told Insider. "Nothing is more important to us than delivering on our high standards for food quality and safety, which is why we work with fully vetted partners that can reliably provide safe solutions at scale. McDonald's has no reason to believe we are the focus of an FTC investigation."