While fast food satisfies our ultimate cravings, not everything you know is as it seems. The reality is that the fast-paced nature of the quick-service industry sometimes leads to shortcuts and compromises that would shock the average consumer. From questionable ingredients to hygiene practices that fall far short of what you would expect in your own kitchen, the truth about fast food can be hard to swallow. Today, we’re looking at the 10 fast food secrets that are too much to handle.
10. Pest Problems Are More Common Than Admitted
Just imagine that fast food restaurants have a constant food supply and a crumb-filled environment. With this, it attracts rodents and insects, and the staff is too busy to shoo them away or even see them. While most locations have pest control measures, infestations can occur between treatments. With this, some health inspections have revealed evidence of rodent droppings in food storage areas.
9. Food Can Sit Under a Heat Lamp for Hours
Enjoying your crispy fries and juicy burgers? We hate to break it to you, but your food might have been sitting there much longer. Sadly, some locations hold prepared food for several hours past recommended safe holding times. Of course, it leads to bacterial growth and declining food quality. They could also attract unwanted crawlies lurking around.
8. Hand-Washing Compliance is Poor
Despite food safety regulations, compliance rates in fast food kitchens are often poor. Just think about its high-pressure environments, understaffing, and inadequate training. Not every area has a sink, so they wouldn’t waste a second to cleanse their hands. Expect that it will lead to employees skipping this crucial safety step, especially during busy hours of the day.
7. Employees Work While They’re Sick
As sad as it is, low wages and no paid sick leave are the reasons why sick workers still work in the kitchen. This allows a risk of foodborne illness transmission when infected employees handle your order (or any other order). If you think about it, we’re putting 100% of our trust in those who are preparing our food, while hoping that they are in good condition.
6. Cross Contamination
Fast food kitchens often struggle with cross-contamination due to high-speed operations. For instance, this happens when raw meat juices can contaminate vegetables. With that, allergens can spread between different menu items. The same surfaces are also affected if they are used in multiple food preparations without proper sanitization between uses. It’s difficult to control the kitchen when everyone is running around, so there is definitely no time for keeping things slow but sure.
5. Sand in Your Food
Not really those sands that you see on beaches, but a silicon dioxide kind. It’s found in many fast food items. It’s an anti-caking agent that is processed sand to prevent the clumping of seasonings, sauces, and such. It’s actually considered safe by the FDA, but consuming sand particles isn’t exactly the kind of food that you like to consume.
4. Health Violations Are Common
Believe it or not, a 12-month investigation of fast food violations could range from 45 to 126 critical violations. It could usually stem from improper food storage to pest infestations. Imagine dining at a fast food place with such violations. As a customer, you’ll never know the process of cooking and preparing your food. Sadly, they are a lot common than you think.
3. Ice Machines Are Breeding Grounds for Bacteria
Fast food ice machines are notorious for harboring dangerous bacteria and mold. Many health inspections have found ice that’s dirtier than toilet water, with some machines going months without proper cleaning. The dark, moist environment inside ice machines creates perfect conditions for harmful microorganisms to flourish. Now, if the staff don’t get to clean them that often, imagine the bacteria build up in those machines that would probably mix into your drink.
2. Phthalates Are Contaminating Your Meal
81% of the food samples studied contained a phthalate called DnBP, and 70% contained DEHP. Both these chemicals have been linked in numerous studies to fertility and reproductive problems in humans. These industrial chemicals, used in plastic manufacturing, are leaching into your food through packaging and food handling processes.
1. Your “Cheese” Is Only Half Cheese
Did you know that half the contents of most processed cheese in fast food restaurants are chemicals, additives, and fat? Leaving a final slice that’s less than 50% of what it claims to be. Sadly, that gooey goodness on your burger is more chemistry experiment than dairy product. It means it comes with artificial colors, preservatives, and emulsifiers, making up a significant portion of what you’re eating.