IN-N-OUT had to clear the air after the White House fell for a post from an account impersonating the popular burger joint.
On April Fool’s Day, a fake account tweeted that the fast food restaurant would be “transitioning to 100% pure beef tallow.”
The company made it clear that the ingredient change were not happening, although they were looking into alternatives[/caption]
Earlier this year, RFK Jr. praised Steak ‘n Shake for using beef tallow[/caption]
Minutes later on April 1, the user clarified that it was a joke for the holiday.
Fast forward four months, the White House used the post in their press release this week as proof of the Department of Health’s initiatives, according to the Independent.
The administration praised the sham in the release, claiming that it was due to President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again strategy.
Reports quickly pointed out that the tweet was in fact not the real In-N-Out, and the company was not switching the beef tallow.
It was then deleted from the website’s press release, but is still available to see in an email sent out to reporters on Monday, according to The Independent.
In-N-Out‘s Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick told the outlet that the beef tallow statement was “published in error,” and although they “continue to work on an upgrade to our current sunflower oil,” it hasn’t made a change over yet.
One of the biggest champions of beef tallow over seed oils is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States health secretary.
The release also stated that In-N-Out is looking to remove artificial flavors and synthetic food dyes from its menu by the end of the year after the Department of Health and Human Services have remained steadfast on removing artificial food dyes.
The company did confirm those changes to Good Morning America in May.
In response to the mistake, the White House told The Independent that the “media’s obsession with covering anything but the facts, like how the Trump administration is working with companies, including In-N-Out, to remove artificial ingredients from our food supply, is exactly why public trust in the press has plummeted to record lows.”
The joke tweet now has over 5 million views, with over 2,000 comments.
Other companies the administration praised in the release included Steak ‘N Shake, Tyson Foods, Mars, Sam’s Club, General Mills, and more.
“President Donald J. Trump took office promising to confront the chronic health crisis plaguing Americans,” the release said.
“And six months later, he is delivering on that promise by removing harmful chemicals from our food supply.”
Companies listed in Trump’s release
- Steak ‘N Shake
- McCormick
- PepsiCo
- In-N-Out
- Tyson Foods
- Mars
- Sam’s Club
- Kraft-Heinz
- General Mills
- Nestlé
- Conagra Foods
- JM Smucker
- Hershey
- Consumer Brands
Steak ‘N Shake already has moved to beef tallow, according to the release.
Kennedy went on Fox News earlier this year to praise the company for cooking its fries in beef tallow instead of seed oil.
“President Trump wants us to have radical transparency and incentivize companies like this one to switch traditional ingredients like beef tallow,” he said in the burger joint.
“We are poisoning ourselves and it’s coming principally from these ultra-processed foods.”
The administration also claimed in the release that dozens of ice cream companies will no longer use artificial colors.
“The American people have made it clear—they want real food, not chemicals,” Kennedy said in another release.
“[W]e’re holding the food industry accountable and driving a nationwide effort to Make America Healthy Again.”
The administration praised other companies in its release[/caption]
