No matter how much their marketing campaigns insist that they have healthy options, we don't associate McDonald's with health food. We know that the food isn't good for us, so we attempt to eat it in moderation, but there are still some surprising and gross facts about the world's most famous fast food chain. They might not make you want to stop eating there for good, but they will definitely make you second guess a few things. From the ridiculously unhealthy salads to those touch screens, let's take a look at some gross things you should know before eating at McDonald's again.
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00:00You know you're not gonna get a gourmet meal when you pull up to the Golden Arches, but
00:05you do expect it to meet certain standards, right?
00:08Well, it might be time to lower your expectations.
00:11These are the most cringeworthy things you need to know before you eat at McDonald's
00:15again.
00:16Mint.
00:17Wow.
00:18I had a shamrock shake.
00:21I hate you.
00:22And I got one for you, too.
00:24I love you.
00:25We are under no circumstances telling you not to enjoy your annual shamrock shake, but
00:31we do want you to know why they're just called shakes and not milkshakes.
00:36Snopes says there's been a rumor going around that the desserts can't be called milkshakes
00:40because they don't contain dairy products, but that's not true.
00:44They definitely use milk in those shakes, they just don't make them with ice cream.
00:49Instead, they combine reduced-fat soft serve, which may or may not be allowed to be called
00:54ice cream depending on your state, with flavored syrup along with whipped cream.
00:59It's designed that way to not just be fast, but also consistent across all McDonald's.
01:04So while you're not getting something that's quite as gross as you might think, you're
01:08not getting any real ice cream, either.
01:11This little nasty tidbit comes to us via Reddit on a thread asking,
01:15Fast food workers of Reddit, what should we not order at your restaurant?
01:20Why not?
01:21One user named Envirometh had all sorts of thoughts on just why you should think twice
01:26about picking up a McCafe beverage, saying that in their experience as an employee, the
01:31machines are rarely cleaned.
01:32Hey Jack, that was a really good flat white.
01:35Thanks, mate.
01:36Did you do something different?
01:39They also say the machines are horrendously complicated, so much so that they require
01:44specialized servicing and training to take them apart and really get all the gunk out
01:48of the nooks and crannies.
01:50But another employee chimed in to say their McDonald's managers went above and beyond
01:54to clean the McCafe machines, adding that it took an average of 30 to 45 minutes every
01:59day to keep them spic and span.
02:02So buyer beware, sounds like your cup of joe may come with room for a little...extra.
02:08You've heard the horror stories about how those oddly textured chicken McNuggets are
02:12made.
02:13Well, it turns out McDonald's has been actively trying to clean up the McNugget's reputation.
02:18In 2014, they released a video that shows just how those nuggets are made.
02:23And while there's no pink slime in sight, it's still not exactly appetizing.
02:27We don't know what it is or where it came from, but it has nothing to do with our chicken
02:31McNuggets.
02:32The video is from McD's Canada, but NPR reported it's the same deal in the U.S.
02:38After the breast meat is removed from the bone, it's sent through a grinder with seasoning
02:42and chicken skin.
02:43They're battered twice, par-fried, frozen, and shipped off to stores to finish cooking
02:48them.
02:49If you make your own fries at home, you typically use potatoes, oil, salt, and maybe some seasoning.
02:55But if you think you're getting the same thing at McD's, you're wrong.
02:59Check out their signature recipe, and you'll find a whopping 19 ingredients, to be exact.
03:04So what is all that stuff?
03:06The Daily Mail reported that natural beef flavor and citric acid are added to the oil
03:11those potatoes are fried in, and they're coated with a mix of salt, dextrose, and sodium acid
03:16pyrophosphate.
03:18That last one keeps them from turning brown after they've cooked.
03:21It's the Fry Show, McDonald's world-famous fries.
03:24But speaking of that so-called beef flavoring, if you're a strict vegetarian traveling the
03:29world, you might want to take a pass on any fries that are labeled vegetarian.
03:33In 2002, McDonald's was the target of a huge uproar amongst Hindus living in India.
03:39In spite of the fact that hash browns and fries were both clearly labeled as being vegetarian
03:44in that country, they were fried in oil that contained, you guessed it, essence of beef.
03:50That's not just a matter of false advertising forcing people to unknowingly break with vegetarianism.
03:55In the Hindu religion, not eating beef is a steadfast spiritual practice for many.
04:01Cows are sacred to some, and not surprisingly, people were outraged.
04:05CBS News reported McDonald's' promise to make amends by changing the way their fries
04:10are made in India and donating $10 million to Hindu groups.
04:14They also added that nowhere in America have they advertised that their fries are vegetarian,
04:19because they're absolutely not.
04:21ThoughtCo reached out to McDonald's in 2017, and they responded saying they have no intentions
04:27of changing their recipes or making fries vegetarian in the U.S.
04:31Exactly why remains a mystery.
04:35In 2017, BuzzFeed spoke to the Louisiana teen at the center of a viral outrage.
04:40Going by just his first name, Nick claimed he was told to clean the ice cream machine
04:44at the McDonald's where he worked.
04:46That's where he found trays filled with mold and slime, so he tweeted photos.
04:51I couldn't believe my eyes.
04:53I was like, I've never seen something this disgusting.
04:56Other McDonald's employees and former employees came forward to support him, saying it was
05:01management's job to clean the machines and it was rarely done right.
05:05Nick was fired after his tweets, and McDonald's was quick to clarify that the trays pictured
05:10never come into contact with food, which made it no less gross.
05:15According to The Wall Street Journal, cleaning a McFlurry machine is an 11-step process that
05:19should include a four-hour heat cleaning cycle.
05:22That's not counting the time it takes to run the other steps, prep the machine for cleaning,
05:26and get things up and running again.
05:28But here's the rub, McDonald's knows how difficult they are to clean, promising in early 2017
05:34that the machines would be replaced.
05:36Food Beast checked in eight months later, and nothing had changed.
05:39Can I try a bite?
05:41How do I share?
05:42I mean, I could get my own spoon.
05:45No.
05:48According to a Reddit thread that asked,
05:50"[McDonald's employees, what is the worst thing that has ever happened in the play place?]
05:55It should probably just be called Poop Place for accuracy's sake.
05:59Employees revealed a ton of stories about kids pooping in the slide, and others sliding
06:03through it, as well as in the crawl tubes, and definitely in the ball pit.
06:07One said there was almost always a layer of forgotten food at the bottom of the ball pit,
06:12and then swore the contents of the pit were 50 percent edible, 25 percent balls, and 25
06:18percent poop.
06:19Tongue-in-cheek, maybe, but were they kind of right?
06:22According to Gizmodo, Dr. Erin Carr Jordan, a professor of developmental psychology and
06:27mother of four, was understandably concerned about just what her kids were playing in at
06:32McDonald's.
06:33You name it, if it's a thing you don't want your child being exposed to, we found it inside
06:37these play lands."
06:38She took sample swaps from numerous Play Place playgrounds, with Wired reporting they came
06:42back positive for listeria, staph, and tons of other nasty bacteria you wouldn't want
06:48your kids exposed to.
06:49But the story gets even worse.
06:51When Dr. Carr Jordan approached a McDonald's manager after seeing a child lick the equipment
06:56in one particular Play Place, she was served with legal documents banning her from McDonald's
07:00for being disruptive.
07:02New touchscreen kiosks make ordering a breeze, but you might want to hose down after you
07:07use them.
07:08Who wants a Happy Meal?
07:09I do!
07:10In 2018, the U.K.'s Metro swapped eight McDonald's touchscreens, six in London and two in Birmingham.
07:17Dr. Paul Matuelle, a senior lecturer in microbiology from the London Metropolitan University, said
07:23of the findings,
07:24"...we were all surprised how much gut and fecal bacteria there was on the touchscreen
07:28machines.
07:29These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals."
07:33The bacteria strains were no joke, either.
07:35One touchscreen showed Staphylococcus, a bacteria that's becoming increasingly resilient to
07:40antibiotics.
07:42Listeria was also found at two locations, and three-quarters of the locations tested
07:46positive for Proteus, which is typically found in soil, animal, and human feces.
07:52McDonald's claimed the touchscreens are cleaned regularly, but Matuelle suggested the disinfectant
07:57might not be strong enough, particularly considering the number of people that use the screen then
08:02eat their food without washing their hands.
08:06McDonald's has had some iconic characters doing the heavy lifting when it comes to advertising,
08:10but you might not have noticed that one in particular seemed to drop off the face of
08:14the earth in 2002.
08:16Yes, the Hamburglar vanished, and according to a McDonald's spokesperson via CNN, he was
08:22actually, quote, "...lying low and living a quiet life."
08:26That explains so much.
08:30But his return in 2015 had people thinking he was all kinds of creepy.
08:35Rubble rubble!
08:36The character got a complete makeover from cute costumed character into an actual adult
08:41man.
08:42While some thought the new look was oddly alluring…
08:44I'm gonna venture to say, I find him attractive.
08:47She finds creepy people hot.
08:49No!
08:50Adweek reported others took to Twitter to state the complete opposite.
08:53SuggesterAunt called him,
08:54"...the creepy guy at your high school reunion that makes you wonder what went wrong."
08:58Which isn't really the vibe you'd expect anyone to be going for.
09:02That's so you!
09:04You're rockin' now!
09:06There's not much that's creepier than using toys to lure children through the doors of
09:10your establishment.
09:11And according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, that's exactly what McDonald's
09:16is doing with the toys they've been putting in their Happy Meals.
09:19For years.
09:20CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner even went as far as to say,
09:25"...McDonald's is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children.
09:29McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children's developmental
09:34immaturity.
09:35All this to induce children to prefer foods that may harm their health."
09:39That's a creepy and predatory practice that warrants an injunction.
09:43"...and the Happy Meal fun goes on and on and on when you ask your parents to download
09:49the McPlay app."
09:50In 2010, CSPI filed a class-action lawsuit to stop what they say is effectively bribing
09:56kids to want to go to McDonald's at an age when lifelong eating practices are being shaped.
10:01Reuters reported the suit was ultimately dismissed, without public explanation.
10:05So that leaves it up to you to decide if one of their major marketing campaigns is
10:09smart or grossly irresponsible.
10:12"...it only takes a few seconds to hear what greens lovers want.
10:17The simpler, the better."
10:19McDonald's has joined the nationwide movement to get healthier by adding a few salads to
10:23their menu.
10:24But CBC News found those salads aren't as healthy as you think.
10:28They reported that McDonald's Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken and Asiago Caesar
10:33Dressing is the biggest offender.
10:35With the real issue arising when you start adding up ingredients.
10:38You're paying a price for a Crispy Chicken and Dressing, and that price is 730 calories,
10:4453 grams of fat, and 1,400 milligrams of sodium.
10:48Compare that to a Double Big Mac, and you're eating 30 more calories, 15 more grams of
10:53fat, and 60 more milligrams of sodium.
10:56In the salad.
10:57And the other options aren't much better.
10:59The Bacon Ranch Salad packs a whopping 28 grams of fat, and the Southwest Buttermilk
11:04Crispy Chicken Salad clocks in at 25 grams of fat and 520 calories.
11:10If you're going to McDonald's, you might be better off not trying to pretend you're there
11:14for your health.
11:15Looks like a Quarter Pounder might just be the overall better choice.
11:19Let's be honest, you already know you're getting an insane amount of fat and calories when
11:24you head to McDonald's.
11:25But allow us to make your lunch even grosser by telling you just how much sodium you're
11:30eating, too.
11:31First, let's look at the American Heart Association, who recommends limiting your daily sodium
11:36intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, with an ideal limit of 1,500 milligrams.
11:43It's hard to make healthy choices for your family when the food industry adds excessive
11:47amounts of sodium to many of the processed foods you serve each day.
11:50Now consider the Bacon and Cheese Sirloin Third Pound Burger has a whopping 2,030 milligrams
11:56of sodium, and we're not even talking about the side of fries you always get with it.
12:01Going for breakfast?
12:02Take the Big Breakfast with Hot Cakes and Egg Whites, which contains an almost unthinkable
12:072,150 milligrams of sodium.
12:10But The Balance reported it's getting even worse.
12:13In 2012, the menu contained eight items with more than 50 percent of a person's daily recommended
12:19sodium intake.
12:20By 2017, that number skyrocketed to 24 items, and in 2018, nothing had changed.
12:28Still packing an unhealthy amount of sodium are items like the Six Piece Buttermilk Crispy
12:33Tenders, the Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger, and an overwhelming number of breakfast items.
12:39With sodium being such a major concern for so many Americans, it's just not worth the
12:44trip to the drive-thru.