If you are one of the Americans who gets excited each year when McDonald’s brings back the McRib for the ‘last’ time, you may want to sit down before reading this.

Time reports that the frequent ‘for a limited time only’ McMenu item has seventy ingredients total and thirty-four in the bun alone. Among them? The ever yummy “azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80”!

Fun fact about azodicarbonamide: it’s a flour bleaching agent that is commonly used in manufacturing foamed plastic (think sneaker soles and gym mats). It’s banned in Europe and Australia as a food additive and England classified it as a “respiratory sensitizer” that may cause asthma in persons exposed to it in the workplace. Even though the US only allows small amounts in food, the idea that a sneaker sole agent that can make people sick is a must-use ingredient for a sandwich bun (in a restaurant that sells buns without said additive 365 days a year) is just really troubling.

Time also reminds us that the McRib has 980 milligrams of sodium and 10 grams of saturated fat. So if you insist upon indulging in the salty, saturated, sneaker sole sandwich…try to just have one each time it comes around.

 


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11 Comments

  1. Interesting, wonder what else is in the rest of their menu? And I am sure Taco Bells “beef” is locked and loaded as well…

  2. *gag* then *shakes fist at McD’s*

  3. I already know fast food isn’t real but these reminders still make me weak; well weaker. Eh!

  4. They bleach their chicken nuggets/sandwich meat as well!

  5. It’s a flour bleaching agent. Does this mean its in flour which is in cakes? I love cakes. Does this also mean its in white bread, hot dog buns, donuts and possibly other bleached things like sugar? I just think you guys should also talk about those things and stop trying to hate on McDonald’s. In fact, I think you’re website is sponsored by one of their competitors.

  6. I don’t find this shocking. I’ve seen gummy bears that list mineral oil as an ingredient. In the US you can virtually put any ‘ol crap in food.

  7. …And there is carnauba (sp?) wax in candies, the same wax that is used in car washes. Eee-yew!

  8. The USA has the worst food in the world…absolutely horrible…and it’s not just mcdonald’s it’s almost everywhere you turn…and they know people don’t bother to even care WHERE/WHAT their food comes from and will scarf it down as long as it tastes good….Travel the world and you’ll see with your own eyes that people much, much poorer than the average american eat 1,000% better food because it’s not processed crap filled with chemicals. it’s really, really sad…

  9. Lunchlady Doris

    There’s very little meat in these gym mats!

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