So – what is the answer to the age-old question, “What are chicken nuggets made of?’ Specifically, what are McDonald’s McNuggets made of? While both of these sentences are grammatically incorrect, since they both end with prepositions, they are still questions worth asking. Savvy consumers want to know that they are eating something or nutritional value, without the addition of “mystery meats.” And clientele want to know that, when they are comparing McDonald’s menu prices, they are perhaps getting something vaguely resembling meat for their investment. After considerable investigation, including a search of McDonald’s posted nutritional information, this monumental question can perhaps, finally, be answered.

Chicken nuggets, from a reputable company (Tyson’s for example) are made of chicken. Surprise! They are cooked with salt and water and some natural flavors are added. They are breaded with breading made of the usual ingredients (flour, salt, yeast, some spices). That’s about it. Other companies have other ingredients, but, for the most part, those are the ingredients most “manufacturers” of chicken nuggets use.

According the nutritional information provided by McDonalds, McNuggets are “made with USDA-inspected white meat. Then they are “battered and cooked to golden perfection”. No further information was available. After a quick review of the internet, the general consensus that is that the average McNugget is composed of chicken, water, salt, sodium phosphates. Battered and breaded with bleached wheat flour, water, modified food starch, salt, spices, wheat gluten, paprika, dextrose (sugar), yeast, garlic powder, rosemary, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and cottonseed oil with mono- and diglycerides, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate), baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), natural flavor (plant source) with extracts of paprika. They are then fried in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid), to which dimethylpolysiloxane is added as an anti-foaming agent.

So – sodium phosphates are textureizers (or, sometimes, a laxative). The next ingredients are preservatives and ingredients used for leavening. They contain aluminum. Most people don’t really need aluminum in their diet. Then there is the TBHQ and the dimethylpolysiloxane. TBHQ is petroleum based, butane-like product. It is lighter fluid, used as a preservative. Dimethylpolysiloxane is a chemical that is used in sealant and for caulking windows.

Perhaps consumers should stick to chicken nuggets that come from a reputable company that puts – well – chicken in their nuggets.