Emily Carter
McDonald's has been plagued by accusations that its Chicken McNuggets contain so-called pink slime, a soft-serve-looking substance made from crushing the entire bird—bones, eyes, guts, and all—and then washing the resulting mush in ammonia. The fast-food giant has fervently denied these claims for over a decade, stating that its chicken nuggets are made exclusively with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken cut from the breast, tenderloins, and rib, which is then mixed with a marinade and coated in a light tempura batter. In 2014, McDonald's Canada even released a YouTube video showcasing the production facility where McNuggets are made, with no pink slime in sight. Independent food experts confirmed the authenticity of the video, dispelling the persistent myth.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pink slime in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets | No |
| Pink slime | Real, known as lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings |
| Use of pink slime in McDonald's products | Denied by McDonald's |
| Pink slime in beef products | Yes, until McDonald's reacted to backlash |
| Chicken McNuggets ingredients | White meat chicken, breast meat, tenderloins, rib meat, seasonings, marinade, light tempura batter |
| Chicken McNuggets process | Chicken is cut, mixed with marinade, shaped, coated in batter, partially fried, frozen, then fully fried when ordered |
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What You'll Learn
McDonald's has denied the presence of pink slime in Chicken McNuggets
McDonald's has been denying the presence of pink slime in its Chicken McNuggets for over a decade. The company has addressed the rumours in a firm statement on its website, YouTube videos, and interviews. In these statements, McDonald's has clarified that its chicken nuggets are made exclusively with "USDA-inspected boneless" white meat chicken, which is cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins, and ribs.
The rumours of McDonald's using pink slime in its Chicken McNuggets started circulating around 2010, accompanied by an infamous and untraceable image of pink slime being deposited into a cardboard box. The picture was often described as showing how McDonald's restaurants produced Chicken McNuggets by crushing the entire bird—bones, eyes, guts, and all—to create a pink substance that is then washed in ammonia and artificially flavoured.
However, McDonald's has repeatedly stated that these accusations are false. In a YouTube video released by McDonald's Canada in 2014, the company filmed a tour of the production facility where Chicken McNuggets are made, and no pink goop was found. Independent food experts confirmed to CNN that what McDonald's showed was genuine.
In addition to the video tour, Nicoletta Stefou, supply chain manager at McDonald's Canada, addressed the rumours directly. She stated that she had no idea where the photo of pink goo came from and that it had absolutely nothing to do with their chicken nuggets. She emphasised that the image was not a representation of how the company creates its Chicken McNuggets or any other item on its menu.
Furthermore, McDonald's introduced an antibiotics policy in the US in 2015 to source chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine. The company also clarified that they do not add hormones to their chicken, as it is against federal law in the US.
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The viral image of pink slime is untraceable
In the video, Nicoletta Stefou, supply chain manager at McDonald's Canada, addresses the viral image directly, stating that she has no idea where the photo of the pink goo came from and that it has nothing to do with their chicken nuggets. She takes viewers on a tour of the factory, showing the nugget-making process from preparation to packaging and shipping.
Despite the persistent rumours, pink slime is not used in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, nor is it even poultry. It is, in fact, a meat by-product known as lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings. This process involves using a centrifuge to extract the last bits of meat from fatty trimmings that can be used in ground beef products. The resulting paste is exposed to ammonium hydroxide or citric acid to kill bacteria. While it may be unappetizing to some, it is not the same as the pink slime in the viral image.
McDonald's has maintained that its chicken nuggets are made exclusively with USDA-inspected, all-white-meat chicken, chiefly breast meat, seasonings, and some chicken skin. The company has not used lean, finely-textured beef in its hamburger products since 2011.
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Pink slime is lean, finely-textured beef
For years, McDonald's has denied claims that its chicken products, including Chicken McNuggets, contain pink slime. In 2014, the company released a YouTube video showing a tour of the production facility where Chicken McNuggets are made, and no pink slime was found. Independent food experts confirmed that what was shown in the video was genuine.
Pink slime is, in fact, lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings. It is created using a centrifuge to extract the last bits of meat from fatty beef trimmings, which can then be used in ground beef products. While it is not used in poultry, pink slime is sometimes confused with mechanically separated poultry. Mechanically separated poultry is produced by putting unstripped chicken bones into a machine that applies high pressure to push any remaining edible meat through a sieve. While this process may not be appealing to some, it does not involve the use of eyeballs, guts, or other shocking ingredients as claimed in viral posts and emails.
McDonald's has stated that its Chicken McNuggets are made with 100% white meat chicken and no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. The chicken is cut from the tenderloin, breast, and rib, and contain no hormones, as it is against federal law in the U.S. The chicken is mixed with a marinade for flavour and to help the nuggets keep their shape, then coated in a light tempura batter, partially fried, and quickly frozen before being fully fried and served in restaurants.
While McDonald's has denied the presence of pink slime in its chicken products, the company did admit to using it in its beef products until 2011 when it faced a backlash from consumers.
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Chicken McNuggets are made with 100% white meat chicken
For years, McDonald's has denied claims that its chicken menu items are made with a soft-serve-looking substance known as "pink slime". The accusation, which has been circulating since 2010, is often accompanied by an infamous and untraceable image of pink slime being poured into a cardboard box. Most descriptions of the picture claim that this is how McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are produced, with the entire bird—including bones, eyes, and guts—crushed to create a pink substance that is then washed in ammonia and artificially flavoured.
However, McDonald's has repeatedly stated that this is not true. In a YouTube video released by McDonald's Canada in 2014, the company filmed a tour of the production facility where Chicken McNuggets are made, and no pink goop was found. Independent food experts confirmed the authenticity of the video. In addition, McDonald's has made a firm statement on its website, insisting that its chicken nuggets are made exclusively with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken.
Indeed, Chicken McNuggets are made with 100% white meat chicken, cut from the tenderloin, breast, and rib. The chicken is mixed with a marinade for flavour and to help the nuggets keep their iconic shapes—the bell, boot, ball, and bone. They are then coated in a light tempura batter, partially fried, and quickly frozen to preserve their flavour. Once they reach the restaurants, they are fully fried and served hot.
While pink slime is a real thing in food production, it is not poultry. It is known as lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings, and McDonald's stopped using it in its hamburger products in 2011. The process for creating pink slime involves using a centrifuge to extract the last bits of meat from fatty trimmings that can be used in ground beef products. While it may be conflated with mechanically separated poultry, the resulting paste-like mixture is made by putting unstripped chicken bones into a machine that pushes the edible meat through a sieve—it does not include eyes or guts.
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McDonald's released a video refuting the presence of pink slime
McDonald's has been fervently denying claims that its chicken menu items are made with a soft-serve-looking concoction known as "pink slime" for over a decade. In 2021, the company made a firm statement on its website insisting that its chicken nuggets are made exclusively with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken.
In 2014, McDonald's Canada released a video refuting the presence of pink slime in its Chicken McNuggets. The video featured supply chain manager Nicoletta Stefou, who took viewers on a tour of the factory and showed the nugget-making process, from preparation to packaging and shipping. Stefou addressed the infamous photo of pink goo that had been circulating online, stating that they had no idea where it came from but that it had nothing to do with their chicken nuggets. Independent food experts confirmed to CNN that what McDonald's showed in the video was genuine.
In the video, Stefou also clarified that McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are made with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken, cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins, and rib, and mixed with a marinade for flavor and to help them keep their shape. This is in line with McDonald's commitment to using only white meat chicken in its products, ensuring that there is no trace of any pink substance.
While the existence of pink slime in the food industry is real, it is not poultry-based. It is known as lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings and is sometimes used in ground beef products. The process involves using a centrifuge to extract the last bits of meat from fatty trimmings. However, McDonald's stopped using this process in its hamburger products in 2011.
The confusion surrounding the presence of pink slime in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets may stem from the practice of mechanically separating poultry. This process involves putting unstripped chicken bones into a machine that exerts intense pressure, pushing the meat through a sieve. While this may not be appealing to some, it is not the same as pink slime. McDonald's has maintained that its chicken products are made with all-white-meat chicken, seasonings, and other natural ingredients.
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Frequently asked questions
No, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets do not contain any traces of "pink slime" or "pink goop". The viral image of "pink slime" being deposited into a cardboard box has been floating around the internet since 2010, but it is not related to McDonald's. The company has denied the accusation for more than a decade, and independent food experts have confirmed that the McNuggets are made with USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken—cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins, and rib—and seasoned.
McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are made with 100% white meat chicken and no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. The chicken is cut from the tenderloin, breast, and rib, then mixed with a marinade for flavour and to help the Chicken McNuggets keep their shape. They are then coated in a light tempura batter, partially fried, and quickly frozen to preserve their flavour.
In food production, "pink slime" is known as lean, finely-textured beef or boneless lean beef trimmings. It is made by using a centrifuge to extract the last bits of meat from fatty trimmings that can be used in ground beef products. While McDonald's does not use "pink slime" in its Chicken McNuggets, the company did use it in its hamburger products until 2011.
