What’s in a Fast Food Burger?

Last week, McDonald’s announced that they would stop using ammonia-treated trimmings in their hamburgers. Dubbed “pink slime” by a USDA microbiologist, ammoniated beef is one of many surprises found in fast food burgers. In the Annals of Diagnostic Pathology, anatomic pathologists at the Cleveland Clinic dissected burgers from 8 different fast food chains to see what was inside. Their research paper entitled “Fast food hamburgers: what are we really eating?” is profiled in my NutritionFacts.org video pick for the day:

The pathologists saw Sarcocystis parasites in a quarter of the burgers. What percentage of retail U.S. beef samples in general are infested with these parasites? (Find out in USDA Parasite Game.) What percentage of U.S. lambs are infected with Toxoplasma parasites? (Watch Brain Parasites in Meat.) What percentage of fish fillets are ridden with Anisakis worms? (See Allergenic Fish Worms.)

Besides parasites, what else might be lurking in our meat supply?

Anabolic Steroids in Beef (3 min.)
Heterocyclic Amines in Chicken (2 min.)
Arachidonic Acid in Chicken and Eggs (1 min.)
Prozac Residues in Fish (1 min.)
Putrescine in Canned Fish (2 min.)

In 2008, the same research group applied their expertise to evaluate hot dogs. Find out what percentage of a frankfurter they determined to be muscle meat in What Is Really in Hot Dogs?

You may not want to know.

In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.

Image credit: Dois Espressos / Flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

ii q.

3:48PM PDT on Apr 24, 2012

EWW...

send a green star

Nimue P.

1:17AM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

Disgusting. So glad I haven't eaten that crap in 17 years.

holly m.

12:34PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

I don't like fast food,anyway.

Marie G.

6:40AM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

The Doctor himself is overweight BUT his female assistant taking the blood samples is herself OBESE !! Has the Doctor checked her out?

jayasri a.

5:23PM PST on Feb 15, 2012

Yuck!!!!

Diane L.

9:48PM PST on Feb 10, 2012

Sharon, I don't suppose it's occurred to you that most people who continue to eat at fast food places do, indeed KNOW what's in the food, and simply don't care or think it's important enough to stop? You found a piece of cartilage in hamburger once? What do you think hamburger is? It's GROUND meat. Yes, fancy that to think that a tiny piece of bone could end up in that. Do you watch the news on TV? They've found entire insects in bottled soda, worms in salsa, you-name-it. When food gets processed in mass production, it sometimes happens.

Yes, Eilene, you do just that..........call the FDA and see how far you get. Of COURSE they know about this, and they apparently aren't that concerned. Just because something isn't healthy, doesn't mean it's toxic, and unless it is, and can be proven so, or "hidden" to those who may be susceptible or allergic, the FDA can't do a thing. Everything listed is legal.

Gwynethrose F.

9:25AM PST on Feb 8, 2012

Lost A.

4:57AM PST on Feb 8, 2012

Gross!

Jan M.

12:11AM PST on Feb 8, 2012

I've been in McDonald's only once in my life. It happened in a foreign town and I needed a toilet urgently. I felt pretty well then - nothing eaten there but left something similar to their meals there. :-)

Audra W.

5:20PM PST on Feb 7, 2012

In the words of my teenager - BLEH.