Quote:
Originally Posted by AB_Monterey
Have I eaten there. Yes, on a rare occasion.
Forget the calories and the fat. This turned my stomach enough to never go back again. Hey, it's a free country. Go for it.
It comes from a cow, yes, but before being stuffed in the bun of a Whopper or Big Mac, fast-food hamburger patties pass through the hands of a company called Beef Products. Beef Products specializes in taking slaughterhouse trimmings traditionally used only in pet food and cooking oil and turning them into patties. The challange is getting this by-product meat clean enough for human consumption, as both E. coli and salmonella like to concentrate themselves in the fatty deposits. So how does Beef Products go about "cleaning" the meat? With an approach similar to what you might use in your bathroom—by using ammonia.
See, the company has developed a process for killing beef-based pathogens by forcing the ground meat through pipes and exposing it to ammonia gas. And not only has the USDA approved the process, but they've also allowed those who sell the beef to keep it hidden from their customers. At Beef Products' behest, ammonia gas has been deemed a "processing agent" that need not be identified on nutrition labels. Nevermind that if ammonia gets on your skin, it can cause severe burning, and if it gets in your eyes, it can blind you. As an ingredient in one of the foods we consume most, our government doesn't even deem it important enough to inform eaters of its presence.
Add to the gross-out factor the fact that after moving through this lengthy industrial process, a single beef patty can consist of cobbled-together pieces from different cows all over the world—a practice that only increases the odds of E. coli contamination. So if you're set on the challange of eating fresh, single-source hamburger, pick out a nice hunk of sirloin from the meat case and have your butcher grind it up fresh. Hold the ammonia.
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Really? I mean, honestly....you're saying that Mc'D burgers are not fresh ground, Grade A Kobe Beef? I had no idea??!!
What next? You're going to tell me that my veal parm from last night was actually a baby calf, that never got to run around and play with the other calfs? Or that too much TV is probably not good for kids? Or that texting while driving is probably not a good idea? Or that we really don't recycle enough in this country?
McD's is a place to go for one reason, and one reason only...it tastes good. I'm sure that your story is accurate, but my guess would be that, based on the crowds that visit their stores on a daily basis, and the lack of dead bodies in the parking lot, their product, in moderation, is basically safe to eat. I'm sure that in it's rawest form, the meat and processes to clean it are far from appealing. I believe that to be common knowledge. But in the end, it tastes good, and I'm sure is safe to consume.