Gross Things You Should Know Before Eating McDonald's Again

You

know

you won't enjoy a gourmet meal when you arrive at the Golden Arches, but you expect it to meet certain standards, right? Well, maybe it's time to lower your expectations. These are the most embarrassing

things

you

should

know

before

eating

at McDonald's

again

. "Mint. Wow." "I had a shamrock shake." "I hate you." "And I have one for you too." "I love you." Under no circumstances do we tell you not to enjoy your annual Shamrock Shake. But we do want you to know why they're just called "smoothies" and not "smoothies." Snopes says a rumor has circulated that the desserts can't be called smoothies because they don't contain dairy, but that's not true.

They definitely use milk in those shakes...they just don't make them with ice cream. Instead, they combine reduced-fat soft serve ice cream, which may or may not be allowed to be called ice cream, depending on its condition, with flavored syrup, along with whipped cream. It's designed that way to not only be fast, but also consistent across all McDonald's. So while you won't get something as

gross

as you might think, you won't get real ice cream either. This nasty little tidbit comes to us via Reddit in a thread that asks: "Reddit fast food workers, what

should

we NOT order at your restaurant?

Why not?" One user named Envirometh had all kinds of ideas about why he should think twice before purchasing a McCafe drink, saying that in his experience as an employee, the machines are rarely cleaned. "Hey Jack, that was a really good flat white." "Thanks my friend." "Did you do anything different?" "Uh..." They also say that the machines are tremendously complicated, to the point that they require specialized service and training to take them apart and really get all the gunk out of the nooks and crannies. But another employee chimed in to say that his McDonald's managers did everything they could to clean the McCafe machines, adding that it took an average of 30 to 45 minutes each day to keep them in good condition.

So, buyer beware! It looks like your coffee mug might have room for a little... extra. You've probably heard horror stories about how those strangely textured Chicken McNuggets are made. Well, it turns out that McDonald's has been actively trying to clean up the McNugget's reputation. In 2014, they released a video showing how those nuggets are made, and while there's no pink slime in sight, it still isn't exactly appetizing. "We don't know what it is or where it comes from, but it has nothing to do with our Chicken McNuggets." The video is from McD's Canada, but NPR reported that the same thing happens in the U.S.

After the breast meat is removed from the bone, it is sent through a grinder with seasonings and chicken skin. They are double-battered, fried, frozen, and sent to stores to finish cooking. If you make your own French fries at home, you typically use potatoes, oil, salt, and maybe some seasoning. But if you think you get the same thing at McD's, you're wrong. Check out their signature recipe and you'll find a whopping 19 ingredients, to be exact. So what is all that? The Daily Meal reported that natural meat flavor and citric acid are added to the oil in which the potatoes are fried, and they are coated with a mixture of salt, dextrose and sodium hydrogen pyrophosphate.

The latter prevents them from browning after cooking. "It's the fries show. McDonald's world famous fries." But speaking of so-called meat flavoring, if you're a strict vegetarian traveling the world, you might want to avoid French fries labeled as vegetarian. In 2002, McDonald's was the subject of an uproar among Hindus living in India. Even though the hash browns and fries were clearly labeled as vegetarian in that country, they were fried in oil containing, you guessed it, beef essence. It's not just misleading advertising that forces people to break vegetarianism without knowing it; In the Hindu religion, not

eating

beef is a constant spiritual practice for many.

Cows are sacred to some and, predictably, people were outraged. CBS News reported that McDonald's promised to make amends by changing the way its fries are made in India and donating $10 million to Hindu groups. They also added that nowhere in the United States have they advertised that their fries are vegetarian, because they are not at all. ThoughtCo. McDonald's was approached in 2017 and they responded saying they had no intention of changing their recipes or making fries vegetarian in the U.S. Exactly why remains a mystery. In 2017, Buzzfeed spoke with the Louisiana teenager who was at the center of a viral outrage.

Using only his first name, Nick claimed he was ordered to clean the ice cream machine at the McDonald's where he worked: that's when he found trays full of mold and slime, which he tweeted photos of. "I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought: I've never seen anything so disgusting." Other current and former McDonald's employees came forward to support him, saying that it was management's job to clean the machines and that it was rarely done right. Nick was fired after his tweets, and McDonald's was quick to clarify that the trays pictured never come into contact with food... which didn't make it any less

gross

.

According to The Wall Street Journal, cleaning a McFlurry machine is an 11-step process that should include a 4-hour thermal cleaning cycle. That's not counting the time it takes to run the other steps, prepare the machine for cleaning, and get everything up and running

again

. But here's the problem: McDonald's knows how difficult they are to clean and promised in early 2017 that the machines would be replaced. FoodBeast signed up eight months later and nothing had changed. "Can I have a bite?" "How do I share it?" "I mean, I can get my own spoon." "...no." According to a Reddit thread that asked: "McDonald's employees, what's the worst?" What's happened at PlayPlace?"...it should probably be called PoopPlace for accuracy.

The employees revealed a lot of stories about kids shitting on the slide, and others sliding down it, as well as in the tubes, and definitely in The ball pit. One said there was almost always a layer of forgotten food at the bottom of the ball pit, and then swore the contents of the pit were 50 percent edible, 25 percent balls and 25 percent excrement. Maybe, but were they right, according to Gizmodo, Erin Carr Jordan, a developmental psychology professor and mother of four, was understandably concerned about where her kids were playing at McDonald's. who doesn't want their child to be exposed, we find it inside these playgrounds.

PlayPlace playgrounds, Wired reports, tested positive for listeria, staph, and tons of other nasty bacteria you wouldn't want your kids exposed to. But the story gets even worse. When Dr. Carr Jordan approached the McDonald's manager after seeing a child licking the equipment at a particular PlayPlace, she was served with legal papers prohibiting her from entering McDonald's for being disruptive. The new touchscreen kiosks make ordering easier, but you may want to hose them down after use. "Who wants a Happy Meal?" "Yeah!" In 2018, the UK Metro sampled eight McDonald's touchscreens, six in London and two in Birmingham. Dr Paul Matewele, senior lecturer in microbiology at London Metropolitan University, said of the findings: "We were all surprised by the amount of gut and faecal bacteria that were on the touchscreen machines.

These cause the kind of infections that "People get it in hospitals." The bacteria strains were no joke either. A touch screen displayed staphylococcus, a bacteria that is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Listeria was also found in two locations, and three-quarters of the locations tested positive for proteus, which is usually found in soil, animal and human feces. McDonald's claimed the touch screens are cleaned regularly, but Matewele suggested the sanitizer might not be strong enough, especially considering the number of people who use the screen and then eat their food... without washing their hands. McDonald's has had some iconic characters doing the heavy lifting when it comes to advertising.

But you may not have noticed that one in particular seemed to disappear from the face of the Earth in 2002. Yes, the Hamburglar disappeared and, according to a McDonald's spokesperson via CNN, it was actually "remaining hidden" and "living a life." quiet life". quiet life." "That explains a lot." But his return in 2015 made people think he was very creepy. "Steal, steal." The character got a complete makeover, going from a cute costumed character to becoming on a real adult man. While some thought the new look was strangely attractive... "I'll dare say I find him attractive." "No!" others took to Twitter to claim just the opposite, with Suggestaurant calling him: "...the creepy guy at your high school reunion that makes you wonder what went wrong..." Which isn't really the vibe you'd expect someone to be going for. "That's you." "You're rocking that." There's nothing creepier than using toys to lure kids through the doors of your establishment, that's exactly what it is. what McDonald's is doing with the toys they've been putting in their Happy Meals for years.

CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner went so far as to say: "McDonald's is the stranger on the playground handing out candy to children. McDonald's use of toys undermines parental authority and exploits children's immaturity." development of young children, all this to induce children to prefer foods that can harm their health. It is a horrifying and predatory practice that justifies a court order. "And the Happy Meal fun goes on and on when you ask your parents to download the McPlay app." In 2010, CSPI filed a class-action lawsuit to stop what they say is bribing children to want to go to McDonald's at an age when lifelong eating practices are being shaped.

Reuters reported that the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, without public explanation. So, that leaves it to you to decide whether one of their main marketing campaigns is smart or wildly irresponsible. "It only takes a few seconds to hear what vegetable lovers want. The simpler, the better." McDonald's has joined the national movement to be healthier by adding some salads to its menu. But CBC News found those salads aren't as healthy as you think. They reported that McDonald's Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken and Asiago Caesar Dressing is the biggest offender, and the real problem comes when you start adding up ingredients.

You're paying one price for the crispy chicken and dressing, and that price is 730 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 1,400 milligrams of sodium. Compare it to a Double Big Mac and you'll be eating 30 more calories, 15 more grams of fat, and 60 more milligrams of sodium in the salad! And the other options are not much better. The Bacon Ranch Salad contains a whopping 28 grams of fat, and the Southwestern Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Salad has 25 grams of fat and 520 calories. If you're going to McDonald's, you better not try to pretend you're there for your health. It seems like a Quarter Pounder might be the best overall option.

Let's be honest. You already know that you are consuming an incredible amount of fat and calories when you go to McDonald's. But let us make your lunch even more disgusting by also telling you how much sodium you're consuming. First, let's look at the American Heart Association, which recommends limiting daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day, with an ideal limit of 1,500 milligrams. "It's difficult to make healthy choices for your family when the food industry adds excessive amounts of sodium to many of the processed foods served every day." Now, consider that the Third Pound Cheese and Bacon Tenderloin Burger has a whopping 2,030 milligrams of sodium, and we're not even talking about the fries that always accompany it.

Are you going to have breakfast? Take the Big Breakfast with pancakes and egg whites, which contains an almost unthinkable 2,150 milligrams of sodium. But The Balance reported that the situation is getting even worse. In 2012, the menu contained eight items with more than 50 percent of a person's recommended daily sodium intake. In 2017, that number skyrocketed to 24 articles and in 2018 nothing had changed. Products like the 6-Piece Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, the Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger, and an overwhelming number of breakfast items still contain an unhealthy amount of sodium. With sodium being such a major concern for so many Americans, it's simply not worth going to the drive-thru.

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