It's been many years since I've visited a McDonalds with a child. But when I did, it always struck me as a bit odd that they put mustard on the burgers in Happy Meals unless you ordered them without. Since the burgers were made up in advance and kept under a warmer during busy periods, this usually entailed a wait of several minutes while my mustard-hating children's burgers were made to order.

Now, has anyone ever met a four-year-old who likes mustard? I haven't. It's been my experience that kids develop a taste for mustard at about age twelve, just about the time they've outgrown Happy Meals. So why would a company purportedly famous for its marketing acumen put something kids hate on a product especially for kids?