Believe it or not, a single Chicken McNugget from McDonald’s contains 32 ingredients and they’re not all chicken: sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate…the list goes on.
This is changing.
The fast-food chain last March began testing a new McNugget with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in 140 of its restaurants in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The company told Crain’s it hopes to expand the new McNuggets nationwide before the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.
“These new Chicken McNuggets are made with a simpler recipe that parents can feel good about while keeping the same great taste they know and love,” said Becca Hary, a McDonald’s spokeswoman. “More than ever customers care about where their food comes from and how it is prepared.”
The move by McDonald’s is just one example of efforts by the processed food industry to appeal to a growing number of consumers concerned about what they’re ingesting. General Mills food scientists are pondering how to color Lucky Charms marshmallows naturally, Nestlé is changing the recipes of its frozen meals, and the US yogurt industry is in a full-scale war.
With the boost gained by introducing all-day breakfast, maybe McDonald’s new campaign will keep the momentum going.