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| Chicken "McGoodness" in a leathal six piece from http://imgs.sfgate.com |
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| The real McNugget from http://www.vegsource.com |
Udhay Joshi
Dr. Mary Leech
English 2089 (064)
Blog Assignment #1
September 20, 2013
What are Chicken McNuggets?
The Chicken McNugget is the American staple of fast food poultry. Many of its consumers are of younger ages, due to its ease of consumption and the variety of tasty dipping sauces it is accompanied with. Most people are introduced to the fast food giant that is McDonalds with a Happy Kid's Meal consisting of Chicken McNuggets. In short, Chicken McNuggets are one of the best kept secrets in the fast food industry. The reasoning behind this can be traced to the average American's perception of what these nuggets are made of. Typical responses to the question "What are McNuggets made of?" are chicken, oil, breading, and spices. These naive answers are a testament to the secretive nature of the surprisingly tasty chicken nugget.
The McNugget Through the Eyes of the Public
The majority of those that put up reviews on the McDonald's Chicken McNugget tended to only focus on the aesthetic and taste quality of the nugget compared to other fast food companies. For example, a review by Ryan from GrubGrade.com ranks the McDonald's Chicken McNugget at a 7.5 out of 10 based on a 100 person taste test. Ryan then begins to base his review of the McNuggets based from his personal history with the product and gives a comparison to other fast food chains, Burger King as an example. Most people tend to avoid looking at the McDonald's McNugget other than through the lens of a hungry consumer, which is fine if one does not care about what is put into his or her body.
The Facts about the Consumption of McNuggets
Although the "McGoodness" that is the McDonald's Chicken McNugget might seem comforting and inviting for consumption, especially to children, one basic fact about the chicken nugget has not changed; this nugget is still fast food. The health conscious mindset of the American consumer and parent, which has started to meld into popular culture recently, has begun to prod people to ask questions about all fast food in the country; many of the new findings are quite disturbing. In the case of the Chicken McNugget, McDonalds has begun to advertise its product as "All-White Meat Chicken". However, if one simply goes onto the McDonalds website and looks at the ingredients list for the chicken nuggets very disturbing results can be found. The two worst ingredients on the list are not even safe for human consumption in considerably low dosages! These two ingredients are TBHQ and Dimethylpolysiloxane. According to foodmatters.tv, "TBHQ, a petroleum derivative, is used as a stabilizer in perfumes, resins, varnishes, and oil field chemicals" (http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/whats-really-in-chicken-mcnuggets-scary). This ingredient is added to the hydrogenated soybean oil used to deep fry the nuggets in order to prolong the oil life and prevent rusting in the fryer. According to foodmatters.tv, "Dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, is used in caulks and sealants, as a filler for breast implants, and is a key ingredient in Silly Putty" (http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/whats-really-in-chicken-mcnuggets-scary). This is used as an anti-coagulating agent for the "All-White Meat Chicken" and prevents all of the meat from being inseparable in order to maintain some fluidity.
The McNugget Experience
Now that the secret is out about the Chicken McNugget, it makes sense why someone has a funny feeling in his or her stomach when he or she eats McNuggets. The common blame tends to be a combination of the grease and the dipping sauces, but that is not the factual case and has a lot to do with the composition of the nugget itself. My experience with the McNugget can be described as a double edged sword because the product had known dangerous ingredients, but its taste was good. It was very hard to eat the nugget, especially knowing that the product ingredients are lethal in slightly higher dosages than what are in the nuggets; however, the product was still palatable and tasted decent with some fries and dipping sauce.
The McDonalds' Chicken McNugget vs. Tyson Grilled Chicken Chunks
This battle between poultry is based strictly on the health benefits one receives or loses when he or she eats these poultry products. The taste of these products cannot be compared to one another based on their preparation methods, deep fried versus grilled, and the fact that one is served in a fast food restaurant and the other is served at home. The major reason for the comparison is to illustrate the healthier options one can provide for himself or herself and his or her children. When looking at the production and ingredients of these poultry foods it can be seen that the Tyson chicken chunks are not made with the controversial "Pink Slime", which is the mechanically separated meat that makes up all fast food, and do not contain MSG's, TBHQ, or Dimethylpolysiloxane. Although the Tyson Grilled Chicken Chunks are truly made of all white meat, the convenience and speed of preparation pale in comparison to the McDonald's Chicken McNuggets. Many people are opting for the healthier Tyson Grilled Chicken Chunks since obesity, especially in children, is a major problem and parents are not willing to endanger their growing children with the unhealthiness of fast foods. My personal recommendation also goes to the Tyson Grilled Chicken Chunks based on the same principles of health conscious eating, especially when the American youth are considered. In the long run, it is better to feed our children and ourselves healthy foods so healthy habits and lifestyles can be built.
The Overall Recommendation
The McDonald's Chicken McNugget is not the best food to be feeding children or adults; furthermore, children are growing and they may become morbidly obese on any type of fast food diet because of the addictive and lethal properties of fast food, so a heavy emphasis is placed on children not consuming the McDonald's Chicken McNugget. If one does choose to eat this food they will find an average taste, convenience, and a fast preparation time. However, that is where the benefits end and the numerous negatives of this product begin, ensuring that eating this food will be of grievous consequence to one's own health. Therefore, I would not recommend this food to anyone, especially children, due to the numerous other health conscious options to choose from.
