# Does McDonalds really use zero additives and fillers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138 "2011-09-13T04:34:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Reverend\_Meade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Reverend\_Meade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverend_Meade)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/41 "2011-09-14T06:08:34Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Did the bun and fries in the experiment spoil? Yep. > [@AaronX](#): > > I thought they were unchanged, like the burger. Nope, they went bad. Most articles glossed over that because it didn’t fit the “fast food is unnatural” spin. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/42 "2011-09-14T10:56:01Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’d be inclined to think that’s why they use those cuts, but the almost ubiquitous presence of decidely non-kosher cheeseburgers would seem to refute that idea. > > Maybe it’s so Jews can order without cheese and still keep kosher, and McDonald’s doesn’t have any special kosher supply chain issues to deal with anywhere. There’s a lot more to kosher meat than the cut. Rabbinical oversight of the butchering and cooking, using separate utensils and cook areas for meat vs dairy, the health of the cow before it killed, etc. Kosher Jews won’t eat a mcd hamburger as it is still not kosher. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/43 "2011-09-14T11:39:04Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’d be inclined to think that’s why they use those cuts, but the almost ubiquitous presence of decidely non-kosher cheeseburgers would seem to refute that idea. > > Maybe it’s so Jews can order without cheese and still keep kosher, and McDonald’s doesn’t have any special kosher supply chain issues to deal with anywhere. Pretty sure the fact that the cheeseburgers and the burgers are cooked on the same griddle would tend to negate the kosherocity of it. But then, IANAJew (kinda wish we still had the little smiley with the wide-brimmed hat now:D) As far as making burgers with a binder or not, keep in mind that until it is cooked, the typical patty spends most of it’s life laying flat against one surface or another (cutting board, griddle surface, palms of your hands, spatula, etc.) Once it is cooked, it spends the rest of it’s (usually brief) life layered between two pieces of bread. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/44 "2011-09-14T11:40:24Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Kosher Jews won’t eat a mcd hamburger as it is still not kosher. Can a Jew be Kosher? I thought the Bible had some strong language on the topic of cannibalism? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/45 "2011-09-14T12:22:45Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Can a Jew be Kosher? I thought the Bible had some strong language on the topic of cannibalism? 😃 🙂 Got me there. Boy, I should eat crow… (runs to check if crow is kosher…) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/46 "2011-09-14T13:50:23Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ve never needed any binder when making hamburgers at home. I don’t think they would need anything. Then I wonder why anyone ever uses a binder in the first place. I thought it was the standard MoP for hamburger making. Even if they somehow hold together while cooking, they tend have a strange crumbling feel when eaten. A binder provides a better mouth feel, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/47 "2011-09-14T14:12:11Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Then I wonder why anyone ever uses a binder in the first place. I thought it was the standard MoP for hamburger making. Even if they somehow hold together while cooking, they tend have a strange crumbling feel when eaten. A binder provides a better mouth feel, IMO. A hamburger made with a binder is not a proper hamburger to me. The ideal hamburger is freshly ground from meat with at least 20% fat content, and handled gently and only enough to form a patty. Salt and pepper to taste. I like that light, airy, crumbly texture. If you handle the heck out of it, add binders and the like, it starts becoming more like sausage or meatloaf. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/48 "2011-09-14T14:14:34Z")
Oh, I guess fast food joints have ruined me then. I actually like that cohesive “loaf” feeling. Without it, a burger feels more like a meat cookie than a meat patty. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/49 "2011-09-14T14:22:16Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Oh, I guess fast food joints have ruined me then. I actually like that cohesive “loaf” feeling. Without it, a burger feels more like a meat cookie than a meat patty. But most of the better fast food burgers don’t have that “loaf” feel to them. At least not to me. Your standard hamburger at the local mom & pop burger place is usually just ground meat, salt, and pepper. Or, [here’s a video of Smashburger](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPsdpNuLYEA&feature=related). Same idea, different technique. Just meat, heat, and not much else. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/50 "2011-09-14T14:28:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > A hamburger made with a binder is not a proper hamburger to me. The ideal hamburger is freshly ground from meat with at least 20% fat content, and handled gently and only enough to form a patty. Salt and pepper to taste. I like that light, airy, crumbly texture. If you handle the heck out of it, add binders and the like, it starts becoming more like sausage or meatloaf. You want the crumbly texture, use super lean. They don’t shrink that way, either, and you don’t have to drain them. Seasoning - I sprinkle Worcestershire sauce on them. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/51 "2011-09-14T14:40:04Z")
Binders are not needed in hamburgers. However, if one wants to use leaner meat and/or to cook beyond medium, I would suggest a panade (I use milk and bread) to help keep the burger from drying out. To help keep from falling apart, form the burger, wrap individual burgers tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for ~30 minutes. Hamburgers benefit from starting cold, especially if cooking to medium or less, because they spend so little time on the cook surface that the extra time from a cold start (which is less than 1 minute per side) allows for more browning. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/52 "2011-09-14T16:22:30Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > You want the crumbly texture, use super lean. They don’t shrink that way, either, and you don’t have to drain them. Seasoning - I sprinkle Worcestershire sauce on them. Well, I don’t like them super crumbly, but I don’t want them to be solid hockey pucks, either. 20-30% fat is how I like them. As for panades using milk and bread, that’s one of my personal peeves. Once you get there, you’re no longer making hamburgers, in my opinion, but meatloaf. They can be tasty in their own way, but it’s not what I want when I ask for a hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/53 "2011-09-14T18:01:58Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Oh and I didn’t know the burgers didn’t earn much money. I always thought they can’t be earning much by giving me more fries and drink for only 50 cents. This is another urban myth about McDonalds… that the items on the Value Menu are sold at a loss. In an article about loss leaders at other fast food chains, [the Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124292373005243859.html) said the food and packaging cost for the $1 double cheeseburger was $0.45. That’s a 122% markup. ([same info also available from the NY Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/business/23mcdonalds.html).) > [@gatorslap](#): > > I’m sure there are plenty of additives in stuff McDonald’s sells other than beef patties. Such as? I mean, there’s no reason to guess. McDonald’s lists the ingredients of every single item that they sell. ([cite - pdf](http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf)) This thread must have linked to [nutrition info from the McDonald’s website](http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices.html) at least five times now. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/54 "2011-09-14T18:55:57Z")
**Raguleader** , kosherocity? Gotta big laugh outta this!! New word? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/55 "2011-09-14T21:59:24Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > **Raguleader** , kosherocity? Gotta big laugh outta this!! New word? 😃 It’s a perfectly cromulent word!😃 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/56 "2011-09-15T00:57:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > As for panades using milk and bread, that’s one of my personal peeves. Once you get there, you’re no longer making hamburgers, in my opinion, but meatloaf. One would never mistake my lean meat hamburger with my meatloaf. However, much more often, I’ll use 80/20 beef and no panade. Panades also work great in turkey burgers. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/57 "2011-09-15T05:56:01Z")
De gustibus non est disputandum. I know Cook’s Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen are fans of the panade in lean burgers. Yet another reason I take every bit of their advice with a grain of salt. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/58 "2011-09-16T15:15:23Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Not true. Trans fats are found naturally, just at low percentages. Beef is a source. > > [Trans fat - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat#Presence_in_food) Interesting. I wonder if these are as unhealthy as the unnatural ones. Certainly the diunsaturated fats aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/59 "2011-09-16T15:24:28Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > This is another urban myth about McDonalds… that the items on the Value Menu are sold at a loss. In an article about loss leaders at other fast food chains, [the Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124292373005243859.html) said the food and packaging cost for the $1 double cheeseburger was $0.45. That’s a 122% markup. ([same info also available from the NY Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/business/23mcdonalds.html).) Excluding labor, the cost of equipment to cook the burgers, the cost of the buildings, the cost of power etc. This is really not enough information to know if they are selling burgers at a loss. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138/60 "2011-09-16T15:42:48Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > Interesting. I wonder if these are as unhealthy as the unnatural ones. Certainly the diunsaturated fats aren’t. My understanding is that they are unhealthy, but if you avoid the quantity that exist in processed foods, it has a minimal impact. The extreme quantity one can consume of the trans fats in processed foods is staggering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mcdonalds-really-use-zero-additives-and-fillers/596138.md?page=4)