Fried chicken is a favorite of millions of Americans, but it’s common for products in fast food restaurants not to be 100 percent real meat.
Chains often load their food with additives, preservatives and even other proteins to keep costs to a minimum and extend the shelf life of their offerings. Others use buzzwords like “premium” or “all-white meat” to describe their poultry-based offerings.
But more surprising ingredients – such as beef, seaweed and even wood pulp – can be found in the recipe of some chicken products in large restaurants.
And some poultry products can also contain potentially dangerous allergens, such as soy.
An exclusive study from DailyMail.com shows that some delicious treats contain as many as 120 ingredients, so it’s worth knowing what’s in your chicken burger or nuggets.
McDonald’s
The enduringly popular McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets have been the center of controversy in the past — after a now-debunked video emerged in 2010 of “pink slime” supposedly going into the nuggets at a factory.
The brand has worked hard to dispel this myth, but the treats are still not made from 100 percent chicken meat.
The clogs Do contain boneless white chicken, but they are also loaded with various flours, flavors, spices, acid, yeast extract, dextrose, and lemon juice solids.
Wendy’s
In the Wendy’s patty classic chicken sandwichonly 56 percent of the meat is chicken breast.
The remaining 44 percent is a mixture of water, wheat flour, starch, acids, spices and flavor powders. It also contains fully refined soybean oil, leavening agent and more unusual ingredients such as a dehydrated chicken powder and smoke flavor.
The patty, bun, and mayonnaise contain more than five allergens, so it’s worth checking the recipe before heading in if you have any allergies.
Carl Jr.
Carl’s Jr nuggets are distinguished from the other offerings on the market by their distinctive star shape.
They also contain some more unusual ingredients – namely “chicken flavor” – according to The daily meal.
The outlet reports that the nuggets contain beef flavor, which contains three different types of protein (from hydrolyzed soy, wheat and corn protein) and beef fat.
As for the spicy chicken sandwich, it reportedly contains “isolated oat product” in its patty and microcrystalline cellulose in its bun – which is a refined wood pulp.
Subway
The chain has faced criticism in the past, with claims that some of its chicken products were made from non-chicken materials. Subway responded to the allegationssaying that it’s ‘Oven-roasted chicken and chicken strips are made from 100 percent white meat chicken’.
But the products are certainly not only made of chicken. The oven-roasted chicken also contains flavorings, potato starch, and carrageenan.
This is a chemical compound that is safe to eat but is made from parts of various red seaweeds. It is used to thicken food and has no nutritional value whatsoever.
Jack in the box
Jack in the Box has several poultry-based offerings on the menu, including chicken tenders and nuggets.
These products often contain wheat and milkso those with allergens should check the ingredients list.
The meat in the popcorn chicken contains, among other ingredients, an ‘isolated oat product’ of chicken fillet strips with rib meat, water and potato starch.
Whataburger
According to The Daily Meal, a significant portion of the chain’s Southern-style chicken strips are not pure chicken meat, with up to 12 percent of each tender containing ingredients such as water, sodium phosphate and isolated soy protein.
Isolated soy protein, which is derived from soybeans, is a common ingredient in processed foods as a way to expand them.
The latter ingredient is a common component of processed foods, the outlet reports. A protein derived from soybeans, isolated soy protein is a cost-effective way to extend food.
But those with potentially dangerous soy allergies should stay away from anything containing soy protein.
burger king
According to The Daily Meal, Burger King chicken nuggets contain a slew of flavorings in addition to chicken breast and rib meat.
These include autolyzed yeast extract, a substance derived from yeast, and other flavor enhancers, including disodium guanylate, a form of salt sometimes used in conjunction with MSG, also found under the name E627.
They are also not suitable for anyone who cannot eat eggs, milk, wheat, gluten or celery.
Dominoes
While known for its pizza rather than the traditional chicken tender or nugget, there are also additional ingredients in the fast food giant’s poultry offerings.
The grilled chicken contains dozens ingredients including modified corn starch, modified food starch and lipolysed butter oil.
Modified starch is usually used as a thickener, stabilizer or emulsifier and to extend the shelf life of foods.
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s chicken strips contain a substantial percentage of ingredients other than pure meat. The uncooked tenderloin chicken fritters contain to 18 percent of a solution of water, hydrolyzed soy protein, salt, and sodium phosphates.
Sodium phosphate is used to improve the chicken’s texture and keep it fresher for longer.
from Arby
According to The Daily Meal, the Buttermilk Chicken Filet contains a surprising ingredient to enhance the flavor: protein concentrate.
Whey protein is commonly consumed by athletes and bodybuilders and is often added to other foods to give them a texture and tasty boost and help them stay on the shelf longer, it reports.
from Culver
The original chicken tenders at this chain are no different from many of its competitors because they contain water and starch, among other things ingredients.
Specifically, they contain sodium tripolyphosphate, which is designed to help chicken products retain moisture when made in tender or nugget form.
white castle
The shape of the chicken offerings at this chain may be an indication that it’s not 100 percent meat.
These rings contain an extensive list of ingredientsincluding preservative carrageenan — which is derived from seaweed — and powdered cooked chicken.
Del Taco
The popular Del Taco chain also does not have 100 percent chicken on its menu.
The ingredients for the crispy chicken include boneless chicken breast with rib meat, water, salt, and sodium phosphates.
The grilled chicken has an even longer shelf life list – with up to 30 percent of a solution of water, herbs, yeast extract and citric acid. It also contains lime juice solids and thickener maltodextrin.