Terrified of dihydrogen monoxide in your food? You'll find it in most fast food chicken,
but good news… it's only water. What's the difference between
an additive and an ingredient? And are all weird solutions marinades?
McDonald's has survived its fair share of scandals, including accusations that its meat
is not actually meat, but rather a pink, slimy paste. In 2017, the CBC Marketplace in Canada
conducted its own research to see what's really lurking in McDonald's chicken using DNA samples.
The study noted that adding seasonings, marinade,
or preservatives is going to dilute the DNA factor of any piece of chicken,
whether you buy it at a fast food place or cook it fresh off the farm. The issue is just how much
dilution occurs with fast food chicken products, such as a McDonald's McNugget, for example.
Per the report, McDonald's grilled chicken shares just under 85% of its DNA with chickens,
leaving the other 15% or so open for ingredients such as
vegetable oil and enriched flour, as noted in its ingredients list.
The fast food behemoth was quick to address this report with a statement of their own.
"Our grilled chicken sandwich is made with 100% seasoned chicken breast. [...] We don't release
the percentage of each ingredient for competitive reasons, but on the Nutrition Centre people can
see that our grilled chicken includes seasoning and other ingredients, just like at home."
This isn't the first time McDonald's has been accused of not being totally transparent with
its food, and in 2021 a manufacturer for the chain invited Insider inside a German factory to see how
its burgers are made. The outlet reported that the burger patties are indeed made with beef,
though each contains meat from several different cows, not just one, which isn't too unusual.
"Tastebuds in a flavor coma? Wake 'em up with White Castle's new Buffalo Chicken Rings!"
A fan favorite of the White Castle chain, Chicken Rings are one item that customers can't seem to
get enough of. But before you order the side, take note that the restaurant's ingredient list
reveals that there are several additives in this menu item. Aside from chicken, the rings are made
with a variety of flavoring and texturizing agents. The nutritional information reveals :
"Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphates, Modified Food Starch [...] and Carrageenan, Powdered Cooked
Chicken, Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Chicken Broth, Buttermilk Powder, Silicon Dioxide, Salt,
Disodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor [...] Mixed Tocopherols, [and] Ascorbic Acid."
Those ingredients don't include what the rings are breaded and battered in,
and it's worth noting that carrageenan is a hotly debated additive,
with some studies showing that it can cause serious gut problems.
Whether customers know exactly what they're consuming is unclear,
but White Castle announced that the item crossed an unbelievable threshold in 2022:
over 3 billion units sold since 1995, or enough to circle the earth nearly four times.
"There are hamburgers, and then there are hamburgers. Like the kind you get at…
Whataburger."
So, what do you get when you're not getting a Whataburger hamburger? Chicken. But what's in
the solution that Whataburger adds to its chicken? "Solution" might sound like a scary word, but in
many cases, it's just another word for "marinade". According to Whataburger's official nutrition
facts, their chicken strips contain mostly chicken, but up to 12% of a solution, made from
"Water, Isolated Soy Protein, Salt, [and] Sodium Phosphates."
All things considered, these aren't the worst ingredients to add,
and they probably serve a purpose rather than just acting as filler. Sodium phosphates are
often used to help keep meat from going bad and as a key component in a marinade,
and that's a good thing, but it's important to only consume them in moderation.
"Solution" is an ingredient in lots of fast food chicken meals, and Dairy
Queen is no exception. The franchise uses a solution in its chicken strips that includes:
"Water, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Salt, and Sodium Phosphates."
That solution may account for as much as 18% of the strips. Dairy Queen notes
that if you're allergic to milk, wheat, or soy, you shouldn't eat its chicken strips.
But if you're looking for something on the menu that doesn't contain wheat or milk, opt for the
Chicken Bites. Per the ingredient list, only 2% of the ingredients in that aren't chicken.
When considering fast food chains that doctor up their chicken,
a pizza franchise might not have been the first place that came to mind, but even Domino's has
chicken on the menu. Per its ingredients list, the chain's grilled chicken is also made with
"Modified Food Starch, Vinegar, Salt, [and] Sodium Phosphates."
Salt is a pretty obvious ingredient, but the company also notes that milk
is an allergen in the grilled chicken, and that's due to the seasonings including whey
powder and sodium caseinate, both of which contain milk.
Don't be too turned off by the additives in Domino's chicken,
though, particularly the vinegar. Both salt and vinegar are used in
marinades to break down the surface of your meat and allow more marinade in.
And while you won't be consuming much vinegar while eating Domino's grilled chicken,
it's still an ingredient that could yield health benefits. Various studies have shown that vinegar
could potentially prevent cancer cells from growing, and some vinegar is known to be
good for your GI tract. We're not saying Domino's chicken is a health food, but there are certainly
other foods that are far less nutritious. Either way, it's Domino's… enjoy the pizza.
"Domino's! Pizza feast"
One of Burger King's most popular menu items is their Chicken Fries, and their chicken
nuggets are certainly in the mix as part of the great chicken nugget debate. Be aware,
however, that Burger King's chicken nuggets have a longer ingredient list than you might expect.
According to their official nutritional information, these include :
"Water, Potassium Chloride, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Maltodextrin, Salt,
Chicken Fat [...] Chicken Broth, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Disodium Inosinate & Disodium Guanylate,
Dried Chicken, Mannitol, Modified Cornstarch, Modified Food Starch, [and] Sodium Phosphates."
Of course, any food additives and flavors will be subject to some pretty big debates. A confusing
concept like '"autolyzed yeast extract" is just a fancy word for "baker's yeast", which is used
in bread and beer products everywhere, and is often used as a less harmful MSG substitute.
Disodium Inosinate is another type of yeast extract used to boost
"umami" flavors in foods, and no notable studies have found that this substance is harmful.
Mannitol, however, is a substance to aid in urine production and swelling reduction in hospital
settings - so what's it doing in your food? When it comes to your fast food chicken, mannitol is
used as a sweetening agent with less severe health effects than sucrose. And of course, if you're
concerned with anything you don't recognize in your food, consult with a professional.
Subway ranked number 8 behind the likes of McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell, and
others in overall sales in 2021, and like its fast food superiors, it's no stranger to controversy.
In 2017, the company was in hot water over the CBC Marketplace independent study that claimed
the sandwich chain was adulterating their chicken more than any other restaurant they surveyed.
Per CBC Marketplace's findings, Subway's oven roasted chicken
shares just over half its DNA with real chicken. Its chicken strips,
however, share less than half; the other portion of its DNA is soy.
Subway later told Insider,
"The accusations made by CBC Marketplace about the content of our chicken are absolutely false
and misleading. Our chicken is 100% white meat with seasonings, marinated and delivered to
our stores as a finished, cooked product. [...] This report is wrong and it must be corrected."
Wendy's, known for its square patties and cool Frosty treats, reportedly serves a chicken
sandwich that contains about 10% non-chicken ingredients and additives, which is not terrible.
Per its own ingredients list, Wendy's chicken sandwich contains chicken as well as things like
"Water, WHEAT Flour, Starch, Palm Oil, Modified Starch, Salt, Yeast Extract, Acidity Regulator
[...] WHEAT Gluten, Garlic Powder, [...] Onion Powder, Natural Flavourings [...] Fully Refined
Soybean Oil, Raising Agent [...] Sugar, Dehydrated Chicken Powder, [and] Smoke Flavouring."
Just like McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's responded to the
CBC Marketplace report denying the claims.
"For our grilled chicken sandwich and other grilled chicken products (salads, wraps,
etc.) we use a juicy, all-white meat chicken breast fillet, marinated in a blend of herbs.
We do not provide ingredient percentages as we consider that information to be proprietary."
While the investigation was conducted in Canada,
it's reasonable to assume the ingredients are similar in the United States as the
FDA says Canada's equivalent, Health Canada, is a "comparable" organization.
Jack in the Box has a unique menu,
including burgers and tacos in addition to their chicken offerings.
"Every sandwich comes with Chicken Jack. Cock-a-doodle profit.
According to Fooducate, their chicken nuggets incorporate soy protein concentrate.
What exactly is that? According to the book Functional Foods: Principles and Technology,
"Soy protein concentrates are prepared by removing soluble
carbohydrate fraction as well as some flavor compounds from defatted meal."
It's essentially soybean powder, and it makes up a portion of Jack in the Box chicken nuggets as
well as several other fast food chicken dishes.Is that a bad thing? It depends! Soy proteins are
useful if you're on a vegan or vegetarian diet and you need to consume proteins you'd otherwise get
from meat, but since this is already chicken, that's not the job it's doing here. Instead,
this soy protein is probably being used to retain moisture in the nuggets. It's considered
very digestible and can even be used as a milk substitute for babies. And according to an article
published by the Harvard School of Public Health, despite rumors that soy can cause dementia,
cancer, and estrogen issues, none of those claims have been effectively substantiated.
KFC has a commitment on its website to serving 100% real
chicken. A company representative told ABC,
"We buy our quality chicken from trusted companies and our restaurants receive fresh
poultry deliveries throughout the week, where it is prepared by certified cooks.
To ensure our customers have all the information they need,
we provide complete nutrition and ingredient information on KFC.com."
However, per an ABC report, some of its chicken contain unfamiliar ingredients like
sodium phosphate and xanthan gum, or a water solution in some of its chicken offerings.
Blogger and chemist Derek Lowe reassured dedicated fast food eaters on his blog stating,
"[It] may sound like a witch's brew of toxic sludge -- that is, if you
don't know anything about chemistry or biology."
One that might give you pause is what's in their vegetable oil,
which contains dimethylpolysiloxane, a form of silicone considered nontoxic.
KFC uses it as an anti-foaming agent to prevent oil splattering during frying,
saving many fast food workers' arms from burn scars, but it's up to you
if you want those trace amounts of the compound in your bucket of wings.