Not everything you hear is true, and yes, that applies to fast food, too. While it’s true that they get a bad rap, sometimes, it happens for the wrong reasons. If you ever believed that chicken nuggets were made with a mysterious meat or fast food never spoils, this list is for you. We’re busting 12 myths about your favorite chains!
12. Rumor: White Castle’s Onions Are Fake
White Castle is famous for their miniature burgers, but there was a time when the chain also made a buzz for “faking its onions.” The rumor states that the onions are actually shredded cabbage soaked in onion juice. To ease concerns, White Castle has uploaded an ingredient list on their website, showing that they use caramelized, fire-roasted, and dried onions.
11. Rumor: Fast Food Is Cheap
Fast food can be cheap but not always. Portion-for-portion, fast food can be more expensive than a meal made from scratch, even more so when buying for more than one person. Add-ons also add up; think upsizing, extra sauces, fries, and drink. It’s not all gloom and doom, though, because you can always look out for fast food deals like McDonald’s $5 Meal Deal and Burger King’s Duo or Trio deal.
10. Rumor: Taco Bell Uses Low-Quality Beef
There’s an old rumor that Taco Bell uses “Grade D” meat, but there’s no such thing as “Grade D” based on FDA standards. To further debunk this myth, Taco Bell shared on their website that the seasoned beef they use is made with 100% USDA premium beef. It’s pre-seasoned with Taco Bell’s signature blend, packaged with water for added moisture, and shipped to restaurants.
9. Rumor: Subway’s Tuna Is Fake
In recent years, Subway has been accused of using fake tuna in its sandwiches. The brand faced lawsuits and viral claims on this topic, with some reports sharing that lab tests couldn’t identify any tuna DNA in the samples tested. However, Subway has consistently denied the accusations and took to its website to confirm that it uses 100% wild-caught tuna.
8. Rumor: McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets Contain Pink Slime
McDonald’s got into the pink slime scandal as it was rumored to be using pink slime for its chicken nuggets to give them a consistent texture. It’s worth noting, though, that pink slime is a processed product made from beef trimmings, so it wouldn’t make sense to add it to chicken nuggets. Additionally, McDonald’s released a video on how the nuggets are really made.
7. Rumor: Arby’s Uses “Liquid Meat”
Rumors claimed that Arby’s roast beef was “liquid meat.” Meaning, their meat arrives at restaurants as a gel or paste and then shaped into something that looks like real meat. So is it really true that Arby’s got the meats? According to the brand, yes. Their beef arrives in bags with a gelatinous broth, which might have been mistaken for the meat.
6. Rumor: Fast Food Never Spoils
You may have seen the photos of McDonald’s burger looking immortal; years have passed but it still looks the same. This led to the belief that fast food is so artificial it never spoils. But the truth is it does spoil under the right conditions. When a burger is left in the open air, it dries out quickly. No moisture = no mold growth. So that infamous burger turned into a kind of “food mummy.”
5. Rumor: KFC Uses Lab-Grown Meat
When Kentucky Fried Chicken rebranded to KFC in 1991, rumors went flying that the brand did it because they switched to genetically engineered chicken (no beaks, feathers, and feet). But the truth behind the name change is that KFC wanted to remove the word “fried” and its negative connotation. KFC also states on their website that they use 100% real and USDA-inspected chicken raised on US farms.
4. Rumor: Taco Bell’s Cinnamon Twists Are Deep-Fried Pasta
For many years, Taco Bell had to battle the rumors surrounding their Cinnamon Twists. The rumors claim that they’re just rotini pasta that has been fried and tossed with cinnamon sugar, and frankly, they do look like pasta before the frying process as seen in this photo. The truth, however, is that the “twist” element is made from wheat flour, yellow corn meal, rice flour, and salt.
3. Rumor: McDonald’s Ice Cream Is Toxic to Dogs
A viral rumor claimed that McDonald’s ice cream contains xylitol, a sugar substitute that can be deadly to dogs. Just imagine the customers who pulled back from ordering ice cream “pup cups” for their furry friends when this rumor surfaced. Thankfully, McDonald’s confirmed with USA Today that their soft serve doesn’t contain xylitol.
2. Rumor: Fast Food Fries Are Vegan
If you think french fries in any fast food restaurant is vegan, think again. While that might be true for the fries served at Arby’s and Burger King, the same thing can’t be said for the ones at McDonald’s and Popeyes. McDonald’s fries are cooked in oil that contains natural beef flavor, while Popeyes fries their potatoes in beef tallow.
1. Rumor: McDonald’s Ice Cream Machine Is Always Broken
Up to this day, people still poke fun at McDonald’s ice cream machine for being broken most of the time. The anxiety when ordering a McFlurry is real! Kidding aside, the staff might just be concealing the truth: the machine needs four hours of cleaning because its parts have to be sanitized individually. Sometimes, it’s easier to say that the machine is out of order than explaining the tiresome cleaning process.