People go to fast food restaurants because the food is affordable and fast. It also adds to the national obesity crisis, but it’s too darn tasty to resist. In fact, establishments like McDonald’s and Burger King feed millions of people around the globe day in and day out. But there are a couple of unknown facts about fast food restaurants that will make you think twice before you order again. Better read this one on a full stomach. We warned you!
McDonald’s Hamburgers Don’t Rot
McDonald’s hamburgers are a lot like a beef jerky. The patty is basically dehydrated moisture so there’s very low risk of it getting rotten. You definitely won’t have to worry about eating an expired burger. Their burgers would just dry out. But since employees know this, you can never be too sure how long your patty has been sitting under the heat lamps.
Drink Dispensers Contain Fecal Bacteria
Thousands of drink dispensers in fast food restaurants have trace amounts of fecal bacteria known as coliform. In small amounts, this form of bacteria won’t make you sick. But the fact that this comes from feces suggests there’s a hygiene issue in fast food places, which would make even the most loyal customer question eating there.
Human Flesh Was Found in Arby’s Sandwich
In 2005, David Scheiding found human flesh while sinking his teeth into an Arby’s chicken sandwich. He ended up suing Arby’s for over $50,000. It turns out that the manager cut his thumb and never threw the bin that contained lettuce and a piece of his skin.
A Big Mac Was Full of Glass
In 2005, a New York City police officer named John Florio ordered a Big Mac and discovered it was loaded with glass when he bit into it. The employee who made the sandwich was charged with a felony and the officer sued McDonald’s for $5.5 million. But in 2014, the case was settled for $437,000.
McDonald’s Sweet Tea Has Too Much Sugar
If you’re looking to cut back on your sugar intake because you want to get fit, then steer clear of McDonald’s sweet tea, which had 69 grams of sugar in their 32-ounce sweet tea. That’s about as much sugar as eating two and a half Snickers bars. Fortunately for our waistlines, they’ve lowered it to 38 grams, which is admittedly still a lot for just tea.
McDonald’s Is Picky With Job Applicants
If you thought ivy-league universities were way too picky with its applicants, you should wait until you hear about McDonald’s. The giant corporation has rejected more applicants than Harvard, which only accepts about 7 percent of its applicants. As it turns out, McDonald’s only accepts about 6.2 percent of their applicants.
Fizzy Drinks Have Sickening Syrup
Most fast food chains load up their fizzy drinks with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which acts like a sugar substitute and makes drinks extra tasty. But high levels of HFCS do more than ruin a diet. It also destroys tooth enamel and stretches out the stomach lining.
Ketchup Contains Maggots
The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to allow 30 o more fly eggs per 100 grams and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams in tomato-based sauces. So, think about that the next time you ask for some extra ketchup for your burger and fries.
Combo Meals Are Packed With Calories
Combo meals on those overhead menus are responsible for 31 percent of all fast food purchases. But the average combo meal has at least 1,200 calories and a third of those come from sides that are already predetermined, fattening, and difficult to say no to.
Fast Food Doesn’t Require Too Much Chewing
Fast food restaurants need you to eat more so they can earn more. It’s why fast food doesn’t need a whole lot of chewing. In fact, the thinnest person will chew about 14.8 times and the heaviest person will chew 11.9 times before swallowing their delicious meal according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Fries Are Flash Frozen
Employees at fast food restaurants don’t get paid enough to peel potatoes and cut them into the shape of fries. So, the fries are partially cooked, flash frozen and packaged. Then they’re distributed to fast food restaurants which will fry and serve them. But they’re still as crunchy and as delicious as if they were homemade.
Taco Bell Meat Isn’t Entirely Meat
In 2011, an Alabama law firm sued Taco Bell because they claimed the taco filling contained oats, fillers, and seasoning and not nearly enough beef. Taco Bell fought the lawsuit but ultimately changed the wording in their ads so it wouldn’t be open to misinterpretation. But the bottom line is that there’s a lot filling in the meat. Like, a LOT.
McDonald’s Salads Actually Have More Calories
Most people assume that if you’re on a diet, you should just order a McDonald’s salad over a Big Mac. But some salads are surprisingly higher in calories than a burger. Take the Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Crispy Chicken and dressing, which contains 680 calories. That’s a little too much for a simple salad, right? Meanwhile, the Big Mac is only 540 calories.
Domino’s Had to Cancel Their 30 Minutes or Less
Domino’s Pizza was forced to cancel their 30 minutes or less guarantee because the delivery drivers kept getting into car accidents while racing to deliver the pizzas on time. The guarantee also led to a petition to prevent injuries and fatal accidents. And let’s face it, guys! Nobody’s going to die if they have to wait for their food a little longer, right?
Five Guys’ Fries Were The Deemed Unhealthiest
The large fries served at Five Guys are seriously delicious. Unfortunately, they are loaded with 1,500 calories and 71 grams of fat. This makes them one of the unhealthiest fries in America. On the other hand, who can truly resist that salty, greasy deliciousness?
Colonel Sanders Hated KFC
Although Colonel Sanders is the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, he wasn’t much of a fan after he left the company. He described the food as “the worst fried chicken I’ve ever seen.” He also compared the gravy they served to wallpaper paste. We can’t say we agree with him!
Cinnabon Bakes Empty Cookie Sheets
Cinnabon bakes empty cookie sheets in order to entice their customers into buying their delicious cinnamon rolls. The trays are coated in the company’s mixture of cinnamon and sugar, which reel customers in with a scent that’s simply impossible to resist.
Fatty Foods Are Linked to Dementia
A study shows that there is a link between eating sweets and fatty foods and the brain’s inability to create new memories. This means that the unhealthy foods people order from fast food could ultimately lead to other consequences beyond a heart attack like developing dementia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and even death.
A Burger Has Over 100 Cows
Next time you bite into that delicious burger, think of all the cow parts that went into making that patty. That’s right. It doesn’t just contain pieces from one cow, but over 100 cows. But if this tidbit doesn’t make you squeamish, then by all means, enjoy your burger!
Burger Meat Contains Feces
An investigation by Consumer Reports showed that 458 pounds of beef taken from 300 packages of ground beef were contaminated with Enterococcus and non-toxin-producing E. coli, which can still lead to urinary tract and blood infections.
Chicken Nugget Meat Comes From Different Parts
The American Journal of Medicine published a study that revealed that chicken nugget meat doesn’t necessarily come from thighs or breasts. In fact, it contains only a trace amount of meat. The rest of the mix is just tendons, fat, and chicken bones.
Fast Food Dyes Linked to ADHD
Fast foods might grab children’s attention with its bright colors. But the artificial coloring from fast food dyes can have a detrimental effect on their concentration. Some fast food dyes have actually been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Red Food Dye Contains Crushed Beetles
Fast food milkshakes and fruit juices contain a red-coloring ingredient called Carmine. In 2011, the FDA revealed that the dye is made by crushing up cochineal beetles. Starbucks once used carmine in their Strawberries & Creme Frappuccinos before switching to lycopene, a tomato-based dye.
Fast Food May Cause Depression
In 2012, the Journal of Public Health Nutrition published a study that linked the regular consumption of fast food with depression. This means that a happy meal might not live up to its name if you order these for your kids on a daily basis.
Fast Food May Cause Breast Cancer
The link between health risks and fast food is growing at an alarming rate. In 2016 alone, researchers discovered that there is a strong link between regular consumption of fast food and breast cancer. So, if there’s a history of cancer in your family, you should seriously cut down on the fast food or at least make healthier choices.
Fast Food Leads to Poor Academic Performance
Fast food can hinder your child’s education. In fact, the more fast food children eat like burgers and fries, the less likely they are to improve academically. Of course, that doesn’t mean parents should stop treating their kids to some McDonald’s if they had a good progressive report or good grades on their report cards.
Fast Food Preservative Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
Although fast food meat like beef patties and bacon might look like they’re safe to eat, they’re really not. At least not in large quantities.They contain sodium nitrate, an ingredient that can give meat the appearance of freshness. But the ingredient has been linked to pancreatic cancer.
Fast Food May Contain Wood Pulp
To keep the cheese from sticking together, some fast food restaurants will use wood pulp. If you check the ingredients of some of your favorite burgers like Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Wrap, you’ll find the ingredient listed as powdered cellulose. Even worse? It can be found pretty much everywhere.
E. Coli Ended Jack in the Box Customers’ Lives
In 1993, four children were exposed to an E. coli outbreak at Jack in the Box. Sadly, the kids did not survive the infection. But the publicity nightmare the burger chain received was the least of their problems. They were sued for $15.6 million.
Chicken Sandwich Had Coffee Pot Glass
Vjolla Lecaj ordered a spicy chicken sandwich from McDonald’s, but she didn’t order it with glass. Unfortunately, the sandwich contained a lot of it thanks to a coffee pot that had exploded. She sued the fast food restaurant for $600,000.
Fast Food Can Be Heartbreaking
A study has shown that folks who eat at fast food restaurants at least four times a week or more have an 80 percent higher risk of suffering from heart disease. And the odds of them meeting an untimely end from a heart attack or heart failure is at an all-time high.
Chicken McNuggets Come in Four Shapes
You might have missed this, but McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets come in four different shapes and each of them have a different name. There’s one called the bone, another one called the bell, then there’s the boot, and there’s also the ball. The McNuggets are placed in these four shapes so that they cook evenly, and it makes them more visually appealing to kids.
Fast Food Salads Contain Chemicals
Although fast food restaurants offer salads in their menus, they’re usually no better than any of the fried items. Salads like the McDonald’s Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad have the chemical propylene glycol. And while it’s deemed safe to consume, the ingredient is also found in antifreeze.
Fast Food Lacks Micronutrients
Fast food is delicious and high in energy density, but they lack nutritional value like micronutrients. This includes a lack of zinc and antioxidant processes. Folks who eat a lot of fast food won’t have the proper nutrients to ensure their body functions properly.
Fast Food Packaging Increases Inflammation
Plastic packaging in fast foods and beverages contain chemical toxins known as Phthalates. These toxins have been linked to metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases inflammation. But the inflammation itself can cause an array of health issues like nutritional deficiency and obesity.
Fast Food Can Lead to Constipation
Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are just some of the healthy foods that contain dietary fiber which aids in digestion. These fibers also regulate blood-sugar levels and lower cholesterol. But unfortunately, most fast foods aren’t high in dietary fiber.
Fast Food Can Affect Your Complexion
Fast foods contain empty carbohydrates, white flour, and simple sugars. Not to say that an order of fries isn’t delicious. But if you eat too much fast food, you could wind up with skin problems like acne outbreaks that will ruin your complexion.
High Sodium Damages Your Organs
High sodium found in fast food can increase your blood pressure, or cause your heart muscle to enlarge. It can aggravate people with pre-existing conditions like congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney issues. Salt can also lead to a buildup of fluids that can damage your kidneys and stomach.
Fast Food Spikes Up Blood Sugar
Burger buns and French fries contain high levels of carbohydrates. So, if you’re a regular fast food junkie, all that white sugar will lead to obesity and increase your blood sugar. And if you keep it up, you can end up with diabetes.
Fast Food Weakens Bones
Fast food has tons and tons of sodium. A Big Mac alone contains 970 milligrams of it, which is way over one-third of the daily recommended allowance. And the more sodium you consume, the higher the risk that your bones will get weaker. Over time, this can lead to osteoporosis.
