The backlash over the McDonald's #McDStories Twitter promotion is just one of several recent food-related social media mistakes. Sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google+ offer incredible branding and marketing opportunities, but they also open the door to harsh criticism.
This slideshow covers brand blunders by Top Chef Canada, McDonald's, a chef who admitted lying to gluten-free diners and more. Click through the pages below to see them all.
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McDonald's McDStories Twitter Promo
Last week, McDonald's hoped to raise awareness of its farmers and food producers with the #McDStories hashtag. Unfortunately, the hashtag was quickly hijacked by Twitter users who proceeded to air their frustrations with the fast food company.
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Alec Baldwin Versus Starbucks Employee
Many companies crave celebrity endorsements, but Starbucks got the opposite of an endorsement in September, when Alec Baldwin called out an employee with whom he'd had a negative interaction on Twitter. "Uptight Queen barista named [redacted] has an attitude problem," he wrote.
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"Top Chef Canada" Horse Meat Fiasco
A May 2011 "Top Chef Canada" episode focused on traditional French dishes like horse meat and foie gras. When the promo aired, angry Canadians expressed their displeasure on the show's Facebook page. Food Network Canada was forced to publish an apologetic statement in response.
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Lance Bass Versus Whole Foods
A picture is worth a thousand words, and Lance Bass' tweeted photo of a moldy Whole Foods cupcake was enough to send his followers into a frenzy.
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Damian Cardone and Gluten-Free Food
Chef Damian Cardone sparked global controversy when he admitted on his Facebook page that he intentionally serves guests requesting gluten-free dishes foods that are known to contain gluten. Cardone ranted about the gluten-free community, saying in part, "People who claim to be gluten intolerent dont realize that its all in there disturbed little heads." [sic, for the whole thing]