i dont eat mcdonalds chicken, but used to when i was a kid... wow
TBHQ (TERTIARY BUTYLHYDROQUINONE): You might recognize this hard-to-pronounce ingredient (hence the acronym) from our recent “What's Really Inside those McDonald's French Fries” exposé (see link below in the “Resources” section). This powerful petroleum-based preservative (which is also found in varnishes, lacquers, pesticide products, cosmetics, and perfumes) may be used to help the chicken and other ingredients maintain their distinct shapes. Consumed in high doses – and it's hard to determine exactly how much is added to McNuggets – this chemical can be toxic. Possible side effects include nausea, delirium, collapse, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and vomiting. Some studies have linked it to hyperactivity in kids, asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, aggravated ADHD symptoms and restlessness. Furthermore, animal studies have reported that it may cause DNA damage. This mounting scientific evidence was enough that McDonald’s entirely removed this bad-news ingredient from the version of their McNuggets sold in the United Kingdom. Oh, America, can we please take a cue from the British on this one with regard to concern for our citizens’ health?
*DIMETHYLPOLYSILOXANE: Here's another ingredient the British won't stand for in their McNuggets. This silicone-based anti-foaming agent has also been removed from the United Kingdom's McNugget ingredient list – and with good reason, too. While McDonalds.com admits that “a drop of an additive in vegetable oil is added to simply prevent foaming on the surface that naturally occurs in cooking,” what it isn't telling you is that this same chemical is found in silly putty, contact lenses, medical devices, shampoos, lubricating oils, heat-resistant tiles and breast implants. “No studies have suggested any toxic effects,” Ochner said, “but it's definitely gross to think about.”
*AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRA: This sneaky ingredient contains monosodium glutamate (also known as MSG) which allows McDonald's to create the illusion that you're getting more protein with each bite than you actually are. This cheap, flavor-enhancing filler is FDA-approved (even though approximately 15 percent of Americans have MSG sensitivity and suffer from headaches, nausea, and heart palpitations when they consume it). That said, even if you’re not one of the people affected with MSG sensitivity, including MSG in the McNuggets recipe is still a devious way of cheating you the consumer out of real chicken (seriously, how much poultry is in those things?!), cutting corners on costs and avoiding listing the word “MSG” on the label.
*SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE: Key word here is “aluminum.” You know, the silvery metallic element you use to line your oven rack before baking or roasting? Ochner explained that this ingredient is synthetically produced from aluminum as well as phosphoric acid and sodium hydroxide. While this all sounds highly unappetizing, its function isn't to entice you but rather to act as a leavening agent that's often used in flour mixes, like the breaded part of the McNugget. In terms of its safety, the FDA allows a daily aluminum intake that ranges from 10 to 100 mg, so as long as McDonald's stays within that range, it's within the legally acceptable limit.