During the Super Bowl, McDonald’s debuted a heartwarming ad campaign: “Pay with Lovin’,” which allows customers to earn their meals by doing things like calling their mother, taking a selfie, doing a dance or hugging someone. McDonald’s clearly wishes to promote itself as a company that values love and caring. Unfortunately, the truth is that they care more about money than anything else.

McDonald’s is no stranger to bad publicity. In Japan, McDonald’s customers have reported finding bits of plastic and even a tooth in their food, and certain locations in China have come under fire for using expired and contaminated meat. While most Americans might assume nothing like that could ever occur in the United States, McDonald’s has been up to some questionable practices here for some time. McDonald’s pulled ammonia-treated beef from their recipes in 2011, but they might still use the same meat slurry — nicknamed pink slime — without the treatment. This is not an improvement. The reason why the ammonia treatment was used is even more worrying. The trimmings used to make “finely textured beef” often come from carcass’ outer surfaces, and due to factory-farming conditions, they are far more likely to be exposed to E. coli and other bacteria. These practices are what necessitate the use of ammonia as disinfectant.

The burgers alone are enough to repulse most people, but the rest of the menu is not much better. In 2011, McDonald’s drew criticism for offering heavily processed oatmeal that had more sugar than a Snickers bar. The company has also been sued for including beef flavoring in its french fries without indicating that they made potatoes and salt non-vegetarian. This, of course, was a major issue for those who avoid meat for religious or ethical reasons. Though McDonald’s ended up paying $10 million,  their fry recipe is still not vegetarian, a fact that the company fails to publish clearly in its stores.

McDonald’s not only does harm to its consumers, but also is notable for its poor treatment of workers. In 2012, McDonald’s pushed stores to stay open on Christmas while refusing to pay holiday overtime at company-owned locations. In addition, McDonald’s has made efforts to prevent both minimum-wage increases and unionization. Through budgeting websites and tip lines recommending employees get second jobs or apply for food stamps, McDonald’s has effectively admitted that its workers cannot survive on the wages it pays. Meanwhile, McDonald’s executives are among the highest paid CEOs in the United States.

The fast food giant’s “lovin’” marketing obscures the truth: it has no interest in the wellbeing of its customers or employees. While the company’s top priority is to naturally generate profit rather than to care for its workers or consumers, McDonald’s deceptive and harmful practices cross the line into unethical and dangerous.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Feb. 12 print edition. Email Dana Brown at [email protected].