# Why are McNuggets (tm) so expensive in Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148 "2012-01-20T17:37:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/21 "2012-01-21T02:26:09Z")
As far as I can tell, the ingredients aren’t significantly different between the US and Canada - [USA:](http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/getnutrition/ingredientslist.pdf) Chicken McNuggets® (10 piece): White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning [autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid], sodium phosphates, natural flavor (botanical source). Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, bleached wheat flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, dextrose, corn starch. [CANADA:](http://ask.metafilter.com/10070/Chicken-Nuggets) Ingredients: Chicken meat, water, modified corn starch, salt, chicken broth powder (chicken broth, salt and natural chicken flavouring), seasoning [(vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), extracts of rosemary, mono,di and triglycerides (from sunflower oil) and soy lecithin)]. Breaded with: water, wheat flour, yellow corn flour, modified corn starch, salt, baking powder, spices (white and black pepper, celery seed), wheat starch, whey powder, sodium aluminum phosphate, corn starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (manufacturing aid) and cooked in 100% vegetable shortening [Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (corn and/or soybean and/or canola oil), cottonseed oil, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, monogylceride citrate and propyl gallate added to protect flavour, propylene glycol.] It must be the packaging, then - we use really expensive cardboard here. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/22 "2012-01-21T03:50:38Z")
The big difference is, in the US, they use white boneless chicken. In Canada, they use chicken **meat**. That’s what you’re paying for ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/23 "2012-01-21T03:58:40Z")
The chicken and most of the rest of what’s in the nuggets is really corn. [56% corn](http://www.alnyethelawyerguy.com/al_nye_the_lawyer_guy/2007/03/so_what_really_.html), according to Michael Pollen’s _The Omnivore’s Dilemma_. Corn is **massively** subsidized in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/24 "2012-01-21T03:58:49Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > The big difference is, in the US, they use white boneless chicken. In Canada, they use chicken **meat**. That’s what you’re paying for No. Our countries have differing requirements for reporting of ingredients. I’d be totally and utterly amazed if nuggets were different between our shared boarders. You think McDonalds wouldn’t have figured this out by now? Am I being whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/25 "2012-01-21T04:20:22Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No. Our countries have differing requirements for reporting of ingredients. I’d be totally and utterly amazed if nuggets were different between our shared boarders. > > You think McDonalds wouldn’t have figured this out by now? > > Am I being whooshed? I remember seeing some sort of pet food’s ingredient lists, which included several languages. Interestingly, it had separate sections marked by the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. The UK ingredients were much more vague and concise, e.g. “natural/artificial flavourings” vs. US “natural apple, pear, and cherry flavorings.” ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/26 "2012-01-21T04:22:45Z")
For the poutine person, FWIW I remember seeing an ad at a McDonald’s in Toronto advertising it. This was back in 2002-ish. It looked too gross to me but now I wish I had the guts to try it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/27 "2012-01-21T15:41:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No. Our countries have differing requirements for reporting of ingredients. I’d be totally and utterly amazed if nuggets were different between our shared boarders. At the very least, the ingredient list above says that U.S. McNuggets are made with safflower oil and Canadian McNuggets are made with soybean/canola oil. That sounds believable to me; safflower oil doesn’t seem very common in Canada, at least compared to canola oil. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/28 "2012-01-21T17:07:11Z")
Those Canadians love their rape. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/29 "2012-01-21T17:16:54Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Those Canadians love their rape. They’re all bad seeds. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/30 "2012-01-21T18:58:41Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Those Canadians love their rape. You should see it in harvest season - field after field of endless rape. ETA: We’re early, guys - I think February is Rape Month around here. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/31 "2012-01-23T01:34:08Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Some of column A, some of column B - I have heard that we have different standards for fast-food ingredients than in the US, but that’s pretty much anecdotal. I’d have to do more research on that. I worked for a vac-truck company about 8 years ago and one day we went to do some work at the Simplot potato processing plant in Portage La Prarie. The management guy that gave us the tour said that none of the fries/hashbrowns they made for McDonalds would be served in Canada. They were all destined for IIRC Florida and New York. He said the product didn’t meet Canadian standards but was fine for the U.S. I have no independant confirmation of this. It was one of the nicer plants I’ve seen though. Zeke ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/32 "2012-01-23T02:59:54Z")
> [@Implicit](#): > > The chicken and most of the rest of what’s in the nuggets is really corn. [56% corn](http://www.alnyethelawyerguy.com/al_nye_the_lawyer_guy/2007/03/so_what_really_.html), according to Michael Pollen’s _The Omnivore’s Dilemma_. Corn is **massively** subsidized in the US. This, and the fact that chicken is a protected industry in Canada. Almost any difference in food prices between the two countries can be explained by the interference of government. ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/33 "2012-01-23T03:29:51Z")
For the past 2 months, the special here has been 50 for $9.99. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/34 "2012-01-23T04:49:04Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > This, and the fact that chicken is a protected industry in Canada. > > Almost any difference in food prices between the two countries can be explained by the interference of government. But why hasn’t the price of a McChicken shot up just as much? Or maybe it’s just because there’s less chicken in a McChicken than in a 6 pack of McNuggets. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/35 "2012-01-23T23:15:45Z")
> [@Jormungandr](#): > > For the past 2 months, the special here has been 50 for $9.99. 50? By Col. Sanders’ beard, who couldst devour that much chicken? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/36 "2012-01-23T23:51:33Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > 50? By Col. Sanders’ beard, who couldst devour that much chicken? Don’t worry, it’s only 35% chicken. **Jormungandr** might be able to eat it all, but I think the big-scale devouring is by his bud Fenrir. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/37 "2012-01-25T05:04:23Z")
In Japan, McDonald’s usually only sells a 5-piece for 270 yen (US$3.47). However, lately they have been testing new sauces such as “Cream Ranch Dressing” and “Buffalo Spicy Sauce” and selling the same 5-packs for 100 yen (US$1.29). FTR, the usual sauces available in Japan are barbecue and hot mustard. Wish they had honey. Loved that when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/38 "2012-01-26T21:23:19Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Those Canadians love their rape. Is it pronounced differently than the felony? I’ve seen it in print over the years, but don’t remember hearing it… ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/39 "2012-01-26T21:37:35Z")
Yes. Canola. And no. Rapeseed is pronounced exactly the way you think. Or is it Rape seed? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148/40 "2020-08-13T13:38:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > This, and the fact that chicken is a protected industry in Canada. > > Almost any difference in food prices between the two countries can be explained by the interference of government. Eight years later… Toronto-area Burger King restaurants have had cheapish chicken nuggets for a while now (10 for $3, occasionally on sale for 10 for $2) whereas McDonalds still has expensive McNuggets, so government interference in the nugget supply doesn’t seem to be the driving factor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mcnuggets-tm-so-expensive-in-canada/610148.md?page=3)