McDonald's says it's not the focus of the reported FTC investigation into the chain's broken ice cream machines

Oreo McFlurry — Irene Jiang / Business Insider

The FTC is reportedly looking into McDonald's infamous ice cream machines, according to the Wall Street Journal.
McDonald's told Insider it has no reason to think it's under investigation.
The chain's ice cream machines have been the topic of lawsuits over owners' right to repair them.
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McDonald's and its frequently broken ice cream machines are reportedly under review by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), The Wall Street Journal found, but McDonald's says it has no reason to believe it's at the focus of ongoing investigation.

The machines, which are used for soft service ice cream and McFlurrys, are often out of commission because of the heat cleaning cycle the machines must go through each night to prevent bacteria from growing. The process takes four hours after an 11-step disassembly process. They can't serve ice cream during that time.

"Intrinsic to the interest in our soft serve machines is our fans' love of McDonald's iconic McFlurry desserts and shakes. 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," a spokesperson told Insider.

The FTC reportedly began contacting McDonald's franchisees early this summer, questioning why exactly the machines are out of order so frequently. The agency declined to comment, but WSJ reported that it sent letters to franchisees to better understand the machines.

A potential FTC probe comes down to right to repair laws, under a larger inquiry from the Biden administration into whether manufacturers stop consumers from fixing products themselves. The ice cream machines are made by Taylor, and are reportedly known for being difficult to repair. For the last two years, some franchisees have been using an ice cream machine attachment, unauthorized by Taylor, made by startup Kytch that alerts owners to problems and helps them fix their own machines.

McDonald's told owners that the Kytch device was unsanctioned, and Kytch sued Taylor and a McDonald's franchisee. Amidst this legal drama, the FTC is reportedly investigating how owners are allowed to fix their own machines, WSJ reported.

McDonald's says it's working on in-house solutions to keep the ice cream machines running, including more training for workers and scheduling maintenance check-ins on the machines to keep them in good shape.

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