Context and correction: Correction: the old “17 ingredients” claim described historical product information, not every country or current formulation. The article’s assertion that unfamiliar or genetically modified ingredients were hazardous merely because of those descriptions was not established. Use the current market-specific product information linked below.
The transparency campaign initiated by McDonald's last year was intended at marketing a more health conscious image of McDonald's Corp.–and at using social media more effectively, but instead of talking about their love for the brand, the hashtag became a forum for people to talk about how disgusting they believe the food is. The ingredients in their french fries went viral. Instead of the basic two ingredients-potatoes and oil, consumers found out McDonald's french fries contain 17 ingredients.
The campaign isn’t brand new. Launched by McDonalds last June using a YouTube video to answer a consumer’s question about why their food looks so drastically different in commercials than in the restaurant, the “Our Food, Your Questions” premise opened McDonalds’ kitchen doors, lending the brand to a supposed more honest and transparent feel.
By prompting consumers to ask their questions on Facebook or Twitter, McDonalds hoped to build trust and credibility in a marketplace where bad press has followed them in the form of viral videos and unappetizing images.
McDonald’s eventually began disclosing the secret behind how the fast food chain’s fries are made. They produced a video answering a series of questions about McDonald’s fries: where the potatoes come from, how they are processed, what kind of oil they’re fried in, and why there is so much salt on them.
Mario Dupuis, a production manager at McCain Foods in New Brunswick, discussed where the potatoes are washed, peel and cut. They are also blanched to “remove natural sugars” that would cause colour variations then soaked in dextrose for an even colour. There’s also an ingredient to prevent greying, drying to remove excess moisture and a quick-fry for 45 to 60 seconds before the fries are frozen for shipping.
The worst part are the ingredients. Instead of the standard two ingredients necessary to make french fries-potatoes and oil, there are approximately 17 as reported on the ingredients facts list on the McDonald's website.
They include:
Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain colour), citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent) and cooked in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with THBQ, citric acid and dimethylpolysiloxane) and salt (silicoaluminate, dextrose, potassium iodide).The 2013 version described these ingredients as hazardous based on their names and categories. That conclusion was not established. Assess a specific ingredient claim using relevant evidence, and check the current product information for the country concerned.
Since 2013: partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of artificial trans fat, have been banned from all food sold in Canada, including restaurant meals, since 15 September 2018. The 2013 list did not say whether its hydrogenated soybean oil was partially or fully hydrogenated, so check the current list for your country. (“THBQ” in the list is a typo for TBHQ, a preservative.)
How many people do you think have an awareness that McDonald's french fries contain this many ingredients? Thanks for the transparency McDonald's...hopefully it will help wake up more people to the difference between your artificial food and real food.Source: Prevent Disease
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Start with the country and product
Find the official McDonald's site for the country where you will buy the food. Select fries, choose the portion size, and open the ingredient, nutrition and allergen information. A screenshot from another market or an old social-media post may answer a different question.
The U.S. small-fries product page notes that formulations can change and that regional, seasonal and preparation differences can affect nutrition values. It also warns that shared preparation areas and equipment can allow contact with allergens.
Ask how the ingredients were counted
A list may contain a blend with its own components in parentheses. Someone may count the blend once, count each component separately, or count an ingredient again when it appears in another part of the preparation. Without the original list and counting method, a precise-sounding total can be difficult to interpret.
This does not make transparency unimportant. It makes the complete list more useful than a number designed to surprise you. Save the date and location with the information if you plan to compare it or share it.
Separate ingredients, nutrition and allergens
These answer different questions. An ingredient list describes composition; nutrition information gives values for a defined serving; allergen information addresses particular dietary risks. One should not be used as a substitute for the others.
If you have an allergy or a medical dietary requirement, use the relevant current information and seek appropriate professional advice. Do not infer safety from a short list, and do not infer danger simply from an unfamiliar name.
A useful checklist before sharing a food claim
- Which country and product does it describe?
- When was the information published or accessed?
- Can readers see the complete ingredient list?
- Does the conclusion follow from that list, or introduce an unsupported health claim?
- Are portion size and preparation relevant to the comparison?
You can question a company's marketing while still being precise. Giving readers a source they can check is more valuable than replacing advertising with another overconfident slogan.
The same distinction between a product label and an alarming story matters in What Happens After Drinking Coke? Checking the Viral One-Hour Claims may help you find a concrete next step.
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