McRib is back

This post was written by admin on November 1, 2011
Posted Under: Fast Food Category- You Can Select Healthy Fast Food at Captaincooksblog.com, Food safety

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McRIB is back….give me a McBreak!!!

McRib is back…..A cult phenomenon they call it…. there are websites dedicated to finding the McDonalds Stores that offer this elusive sandwich……there are facebook shrines and twitter posts….I even heard them talking about it on a radio talk show the other day……whats all the hype about???

Contrary to what its name implies, there is very little actual rib meat in a McRib. It is mostly composed of shoulder meat which are the fattiest and cheapest cuts of pork.

The meat is processed and formed into patties and then stamped with something to resemble ribs without the bones. There are 70 ingredients in a McRib sandwich…Yikes, including things that you would find at a make-up counter, gym, metalwork shop and a fireworks display……these are things you should not be ingesting.

We all know fast food is bad for us. Along with the common identifiable problems like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean oil (Trans fat), Modified Corn Starch and Sodium benzoate, lets examine some of the other less-known ingredients in a McRib Sandwich a step further…..

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) Primarily used to preserve food color and flavor they are also used in cosmetics, rubber and petroleum products. They prevent the oxidation of fats and oils in food, preventing it from going rancid. These are the chemicals which allow pastries, breads and crackers to sit on supermarket shelves for months without spoiling. BHA is a known carcinogen. When administered in high doses as part of their diet, BHA causes papillomas and squamous cell carcinomos of the forestomach of rats. Yum, yum!

Azodicarbonamide : This is the flour-bleaching agent used in the McRib bun. The principal use of azodicarbonamide is in the production of foamed plastics, like exercise mats. It is banned from food production in Europe and Australia. England identified it as a compound that could potentially lead to asthma. Azodicarbonamide may cause an allergic reaction in those sensitive to other azo compounds, such as food dyes. The consumption of azodicarbonamide may also heighten an allergic reaction to other ingredients in a food. There are actually less chemicals in some yoga mats that are made with this substance, than in a McRib….

Phosphoric Acid: Commonly used as a rust remover, it is also used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas. It provides a tangy or sour taste and is available cheaper than other seasonings that give comparable flavors, such as citric acid from lemon and lime. There is evidence to suggest that its consumption has negative effects on bone density and kidney health.

Ammonium Chloride: Ammonium chloride is prepared commercially by combining ammonia with either hydrogen chloride or hydrochloric acid. It is an ingredient in fireworks and contact explosives. It is also used in textile, leather and metalwork. In food it should be avoided by people with impaired liver or kidney function or anyone that has a brain.

Here are the ingredients:McRib Patty: Boneless pork (Pork, water, salt, dextrose, citric acid, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)).
McRib Bun: Flour (wheat flour bleached and enriched with thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, folic acid, malted barley flour), water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, cottonseed oil). Contains 2 percent or less of dextrose, fumaric acid, calcium sulphate, salt, acetic acid, soy flour, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium sulphate, cornstarch, fungal protease, natural culture, ammonium chloride, ascorbic acid, azodicarbomide, mono- and diglycerides, propionic acid, phosphoric acid, corn flour, calcium peroxide, calcium propionate, dicetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides.
McRib Sauce: Water, high fructose corn syrup, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, molasses, natural smoke flavor, modified food starch, salt, sugar, soybean oil, spices, dehydrated onion, mustard flour, dehydrated garlic, xanthan gum, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural flavor (vegetable source), corn oil.
Pickle Slices
Cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, alum, natural flavorings (vegetable source), polysorbate 80, turmeric (color).
Slivered Onions

Next time you are craving one of these chemical ridden, corn syrup slathered, clump of fat and potentially explosive delights…..do yourself a favor and think again!

490 calories, 220 calories from fat, 25 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 1040 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 24 g protein, 11 g sugars.