Questions answered

There are 15 questions about “Additives” in the “What's in the food?” topic.

Click on a question to read our answer.

1. my question is what really is in your food mostly in your burgers i have eaten at mcdonalds before but lots of people tell me there are lots of cemicchals in your burgers. I am very interested in what is actullay in them also please dont lie. this is for a science fair project and i would really like, the real deal, thankyou for reading through this, i hope i did not take to much of your time. Have a ver nice day. From nicole
Thanks for your question. Our burger patties are made from 100% British and Irish beef, all that is added is a pinch of salt and pepper after cooking. We source all of our other ingredients from credible suppliers throughout the world who must adhere to strict standards and procedures to meet our health guidelines. For a full list of ingredients and nutritional information please visit www.mcdonalds.co.uk and click on the ‘Food’ tab, then select 'Nutrition & Ingredients'. (January 2011)

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2. how come a food reporter ate only Macdonald's food for a month and nearly had a heart attack is your food that bad? and does your food cause obesity?
McDonald's is unsure as to which news reporter your question refers to, so please post in again with some more details so that the team can fully responded. In the meantime, we can tell you that McDonald's purpose is to serve good food in a friendly, fun and modern environment, whilst providing customers with a high standard of quick service and value for money. The company also aims to be socially responsible and provide good returns to its shareholders. We suggest you download one of McDonald’s Information Packs. These have been developed after receiving many questions from students wanting to know more about the company and are designed to help address the type of questions that you may ask about the company operations. To visit our 'Schools & Students' page, cut and paste the link below into your browser. http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/about-us/schools-and-students/schools-and-students.shtml. (October 2009)

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3. What are the ingredients that make up the batter on your chicken nuggets. I have a problem with yeast, and I understand that breadcrumbs are used on your chicken nuggets. So, does the batter contain yeast in any form?
Yes there is. The yeast is present as an extract from the natural flavouring. The ingredients for the Chicken McNugget coating are: Vegetable Oil, Wheat Flour, Maize Flour, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate - E450, Sodium Bicarbonate - E500, Monocalcium Phosphate -E341), Dried Egg Albumen, Pepper, Salt, Wheat Starch, Whey Powder, Ground Celery, Flavour Enhancer (Potassium Chloride - E508), Vegetable Oil. The other ingredients are Chicken, Water, Natural Flavouring, Flavour Enhancer (Potassium Chloride - E508), Potato Starch, and Vegetable Oil. (October 2009)

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4. 'consistency of taste and seasonal availability of produce means that additives and preservatives become an essential component of modern convenience food. These additives are no different to those found in many products available at supermarkets which are used everyday.'- What are the EXACT NAMES of the additives and preservatives that are in your products? This is a question relating the ingredients of the food i buy and eat, so therefore must be answered 'honestly and frankly'.
You can find all the ingredients, including the names of all additives used in the food in McDonald's UK by visiting the website www.mcdonalds.co.uk and selecting the ‘Food’section. For example our buns contain emulsifiers like Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (E471), Mono and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (E472e) and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (E481), the preservative Calcium Propionate (E282) used to inhibit mould growth and a flour treatment agent Ascorbic Acid (E300). These are all additives which can also be found in pre-packed bread sold in supermarkets. Other examples are our sauces that contain additives like Acetic Acid (E260) - an acidity regulator, Xanthan Gum (E414) - a thickener and Potassium Sorbate (E202) - a preservative, which can also all be found in bottles of table sauces like Tartare Sauce or Relishes. (May 2010)

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5. Given the fast turnover of food and the fact that you start with fresh ingredients why do you need to add any of the things to your food that would not normally be added if made in a domestic family kitchen (thickeners, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, preservatives, palm oil, etc, etc?).
Thank you for your question. McDonald's highest priority is food safety. We will not use any product or ingredient that does not meet our own high standards of quality and safety, or that has not received the approval of the relevant UK and EU authorities. There is a fast turnover of food in our restaurants and additives including preservatives will only be used in some of our ingredients, if absolutely necessary, to ensure product safety and quality. Thickeners and emulsifiers may sometimes be needed to ensure food does not separate. The flavour enhancer Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is not used in any of our products. Our beef products are 100% pure beef, forequarter and flank, with no additives, fillers, binders, preservatives or flavour enhancers. The only added ingredients are a little salt and pepper sprinkled on the beef just after cooking. Information about the ingredients in all our menu items can be found in the ‘Food’ Section of our website www.mcdonalds.co.uk. (March 2010)

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6. Is MSG used in any form in your chicken mcnuggets or the sweet and sour sauce?
None of the food served at McDonald’s contains any monosodium glutamate (MSG). All the ingredients in McDonald’s products are listed online at www.mcdonalds.co.uk. (August 2010)

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7. When questions are regarding additives in burgers, the answer is something like "we only use 100 percent beef". Beef patties do not constitute the entire burger, nor does the given answer apply to chicken burgers. If 100 percent beef with no additives implies top quality, is the myriad of additives such as flavour enhancers, artificial colours, preservatives etc. in most other McDonald’s products less than desirable to anyone who cares for their health and the quality of their food?
Thank you for your question. McDonald’s Hamburger patties are made from 100 per cent beef and nothing else, but a pinch of salt and pepper added after cooking for taste. In relation to McDonalds Chicken Burgers, the only meat used across all of the chicken menu items is carefully deboned chicken breast. All the chicken used is traceable right back to the farms on which the birds were raised and the highest standards are assured with rigorous quality checks and inspections. Regarding additives in general and their appearance in other ingredients, it is McDonald's policy to minimise the use of food additives and to use natural additives wherever possible. It is also important to note that McDonald's does not use MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), cyclamates, or tartrazine in its food items. All McDonald's food and ingredients information is available online in the ‘Nutrition’ section at www.mcdonalds.co.uk. (May 2009)

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8. Can you please tell me which everyday foods and related items contain EDTA, which I think may be E385.
Thank you for your question. The additive E385 can be used as an antioxidant or preservative in oil based table sauces like mayonnaise. In McDonald's UK, the food products that contain the ingredient is the Hellmann's Extra Light Mayonnaise and the Yoghurt and Mint Sauce. (February 2009)

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9. why are these ingredients added to the butter? Vegetable oils, Water, Butter oil, Buttermilk powder!
Thank you for your question. The ingredients that you mention are added to help make the product easier to spread onto the McMuffins or Bagels. (February 2009)

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10. Why do/did you use TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is sprayed directly on a nugget or the inside of the box of which a single gram can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse. Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill. This has been well documented and tests have been performed on the "McNuggets."
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ, E319) is not permitted for use in food in the EU and is therefore not used as an additive in any McDonald's product in the UK. However it is permitted as a preservative in the USA. All McDonald's food, ingredients and nutritional information are available online in the 'Food' section of www.mcdonalds.co.uk. (Nov 2008)

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11. There is a video on youtube regarding a man who has purchased and stored Mcdonalds meals from different years going back at least 10. Each of the meals are depicted as not "decomposing" because of preservatives that are use. Can you shed some light on this? and Does McDonalds use preservatives?
McDonald’s only adds preservatives to food and drink when it is absolutely necessary - to ensure the products remain safe to eat. All preservatives are given an ‘E Number’ which denotes an ingredient that has been approved by European Union (EU) law. This is a very similar practice to that used in many food items widely available for sale in supermarkets, restaurants and elsewhere. Additives carry out a variety of important functions from helping to maintain quality to keeping food safe. Additives are very carefully regulated and undergo and undergo thorough testing. Not all additives are artificial - some are natural ingredients, for example, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has the E number E300. Paprika extract, a common flavour often used in cooking has the E number E160c and Beetroot extract has the E number E162. With regard to McDonald’s food and decomposing rates, all the company’s products are made using normal ingredients that you might find in supermarkets and the like. Therefore they will decay at the same rates as these similar products. If you are ever feeling uncertain, please check the full list of all ingredients in the ‘Food’ section of www.mcdonalds.co.uk and click on ‘Ingredients List.’ (July 2008)

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12. Could you please tell me if you have artificial colour, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners in your chicken McNuggets or burgees as my son cannot have them and i would love to treat him to a mcdonalds like his friends have. Also have you ever thought about wholemeal rolls for your burgees as my son cannot have white bread .
You will be pleased to hear that there are no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners in the Chicken McNuggets served in McDonald's UK. The flavourings used are natural. The nuggets are made from carefully deboned chicken breast meat, marinated and coated in a specially seasoned batter. You can find full ingredients information by clicking 'Ingredient List', which is in the ‘Food’ section of www.mcdonalds.co.uk. With regards to wholemeal bread, unfortunately there are no plans as yet for wholemeal burger buns to be introduced to the menu. (October 2009)

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13. I am looking for: nitrin salt presevative for fresh meat, i need to know what does it do to the meat and if it is safe for food?
Thank you for your question. McDonald's UK does not use any preservatives in the beef. McDonald's beef patties are made using 100% beef - whole cuts of high quality forequarter and flank. Nothing is added or taken away from the beef - preservatives, additives, binders or fillers are never used. Only a little salt and pepper is added after cooking. The only meat products that contain sodium nitrite is the Back Bacon used for the Breakfast products and Streaky Bacon used in Toasted Deli Sandwiches, Salads and some promotional products. Sodium nitrite is commonly used to preserve meat such as bacon to prevent the growth of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. This preservative is legally approved for use and the levels used are carefully controlled. Please be assured that McDonald's highest priority is food safety. We will not use any product or ingredient that does not meet our own high standards of quality and safety, or that has not received the approval of the relevant UK and EU authorities. (September 2009)

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14. What are the chemicals in the meat? Thank you
Thank you for your question. All McDonald's beef contains nothing else, just 100 percent beef, made from whole cuts of forequarter and flank (similar to the mince you'd buy in the supermarket). All that's added is a pinch of salt and pepper after cooking. The chicken meat used in McDonald's McNuggets is 100 per cent chicken breast meat. McDonalds Chicken Selects are made from marinated strips of carefully deboned whole muscle chicken breast meat. (August 2009)

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15. I have known people who at some time in their life have had McDonald's meals most days a week. Can you honestly say that you do not put addictive agents in any of your meals?
McDonald's does not put anything in its food to make it addictive. Only the best ingredients, sourced from suppliers that adhere to the stringent rules set by McDonald's, are used to make the food. For a full list of ingredients and nutritional content of all McDonald's food, please visit the ‘Ingredients List’ which is in the ‘Eat Smart’ section at www.mcdonalds.co.uk. (August 2007)

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