McDonald’s is the king of marketing;
there seems to be a cult-like following surrounding their “McRib”
sandwich. Originally introduced in 1981, McDonald’s made the sandwich a
‘special’ selection menu item available in certain regions at different
times. It has come and gone throughout the years, now making a
triumphant return at the end of 2013.
The McRib is back at McDonald’s; this franken-creation is in all ways a recipe for cancer
Disturbing is the only word to use to
describe such a monstrosity, as the “McRib” contains over 70 ingredients
for an item that is supposedly compiled from a bun, a barbecue patty,
pickles, and onions. In fact the McDonald’s official website is daring
enough to list all of the ingredients contained within the
franken-creation.
The “Meat”
*Taken from the McDonald’s website
MCRIB PORK PATTY
Ingredients: Pork, Water, Salt, Dextrose, Preservatives (BHA, Propyl Gallate, Citric Acid).
The ‘pork’ is restructured meat, meaning
that there is no real quality meat involved. Instead they use the
disposable innards of the pig such as tripe, heart, and scalded stomach
which are then turned over to a process which cooks all of the pig
scraps in water and salt. This process extracts all of the salt-soluble
proteins and congeals everything together into a rubbery concoction
respectfully titled as a “pork patty”. (1)
Notice the ingredients propyl gallate
and BHA. This preservative is one to look out for, as it can cause
promoted urinary bladder and thyroid carcinogenesis. Studies have noted
that BHA and
propyl gallate showed additional effects in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity. (2)
But we already knew McDonald’s meat was ‘sub-par’. Let’s move onto the bun.
The McRib Bun
MCRIB BUN
Allergens: WHEAT AND SOY
Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley
Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic
Acid), Water, Yeast, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Contains 2% Or Less:
Salt, Corn Meal, Wheat Gluten, Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated
Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oils, Dextrose, Sugar, Malted Barley Flour,
Cultured Wheat Flour, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate, Soy Flour,
Dough Conditioners (Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Ascorbic Acid,
Azodicarbonamide, Mono- and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono- and
Diglycerides, Monocalcium Phosphate, Enzymes, Guar Gum, Calcium
Peroxide), Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Soy Lecithin.
CONTAINS: WHEAT AND SOY
That’s almost 40 ingredients for the bun
alone. Interesting that high-fructose corn syrup is the fourth
ingredient considering it is known to cause pancreatic cancer. (3) If
the hydrogenated oils alone don’t ring your alarm, then perhaps the
ammonium and calcium sulfate will, seeing how their common usage is as a
soil fertilizer. That’s nothing to worry about however, considering the
FDA approved it as a safe food additive. Azodicarbonamide takes the
cake for unnecessary ingredients, acting as a ‘dough conditioner’.
Azodicarbonamide is used in the manufacture of foamed-plastics in the
US and is banned in Europe and Australia. (4) The use of this chemical
in Singapore actually results in jail time.
The McRib Sauce
MCRIB SAUCE
Ingredients: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Tomato Paste, Distilled
Vinegar, Molasses, Natural Smoke Flavor (Plant Source), Modified Food
Starch, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Onion Powder,
Garlic Powder, Chili Pepper, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Caramel
Color, Beet Powder.
Here we see high fructose corn syrup again as a main ingredient.
PICKLE SLICES
Ingredients: Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium
Chloride, Alum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Natural Flavors (Plant
Source), Polysorbate 80, Extractives of Turmeric (Color).
Even the pickles are carcinogenic. Potassium sorbate is a genotoxic and mutagenic compound. (5)
Surely a ‘ribless’ rib patty would raise
questions for anyone as to how such a thing could even exist. Marta
Fearon, Marketing Director for McDonald’s, says the lack of actual
“ribs” is what gives the item its “quirky sense of humour”, an
interesting spin from a marketing director.
If this information was common
knowledge, would people still be eating these things? The good news is
that fast food nutrition awareness is spreading like wild-fire.
McDonald’s was shut down and banned in Bolivia, Bermuda, and Iceland in
the past decade. Stories such as the
Strange Fibers Found in Chicken McNuggets and the
McRib Breakdown
are making headlines as people are beginning to make more conscious
decisions with regards to the food they are choosing to put in their
bodies. Perhaps the day of worldwide McDonald’s prohibition is just
around the corner. Let us at least hope.
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