You know you're not gonna get a gourmet meal
when you pull up to the Golden Arches, but you do expect it to meet certain standards,
right? Well, it might be time to lower your expectations. These are the most cringeworthy things you
need to know before you eat at McDonald's again. "Mint. Wow." "I had a Shamrock Shake." "I hate you." "And I got one for you too." "I love you." We are, under no circumstances, telling you
not to enjoy your annual Shamrock Shake. But we do want you to know why they're just
called "shakes" and not "milkshakes." Snopes says there's been a rumor going around
that the desserts can't be called milkshakes because they don't contain dairy products,
but that's not true. They definitely use milk in those shakes…
they just don't make them with ice cream. Instead, they combine reduced fat soft serve,
which may or may not be allowed to be called ice cream, depending on your state, with flavored
syrup, along with whipped cream. It's designed that way to not just be fast,
but also consistent across all McDonald's. So while you're not getting something that's
quite as gross as you might think, you're not getting any real ice cream, either. This little nasty tidbit comes to us via Reddit
on a thread asking: "Fast food workers of Reddit, what should
we NOT order at your restaurant? Why not?" One user named Envirometh had all sorts of
thoughts on just why you should think twice about picking up a McCafe beverage, saying
that in their experience as an employee, the machines are rarely cleaned. "Hey Jack, that was a really good flat white." "Thanks mate." "Did you do something different?" "Uh…" They also say the machines are horrendously
complicated, so much so, that they require specialized servicing and training to take
them apart and really get all the gunk out of the nooks and crannies. But another employee chimed to say their McDonald's
managers went above and beyond to clean the McCafe machines, adding that it took an average
of 30 to 45 minutes every day to keep them spic and span. So, buyer beware! Sounds like your cuppa joe may come with room
for a little… extra. You've heard the horror stories about how
those oddly-textured chicken McNuggets are made. Well it turns out McDonald's has been actively
trying to clean up the McNugget's reputation. In 2014 they released a video that shows just
how those nuggets are made, and while there's no pink slime in sight, it's still not exactly
appetizing. "We don't know what it is or where it came
from, but it has nothing to do with our chicken McNuggets." The video is from McD's Canada, but NPR reported
it's the same deal in the U.S. After the breast meat is removed from the
bone, its sent through a grinder with seasoning and chicken skin. They're battered twice, par-fried, frozen,
and shipped off to stores to finish cooking them. If you make your own fries at home, you typically
use potatoes, oil, salt, and maybe some seasoning. But if you think you're getting the same thing
at McD's, you're wrong. Check out their signature recipe and you'll
find a whopping 19 ingredients, to be exact. So what is all that stuff? The Daily Meal reported that natural beef
flavor and citric acid are added to the oil those potatoes are fried in, and they're coated
with a mix of salt, dextrose, and sodium acid pyrophosphate. That last one keeps them from turning brown
after they've cooked. "It's the fry show. McDonald's world famous fries." But speaking of that so called beef flavoring,
if you're a strict vegetarian traveling the world, you might wanna take a pass on any
fries that are labeled vegetarian. In 2002, McDonald's was the target of a huge
uproar amongst Hindus living in India. In spite of the fact that hash browns and
fries were both clearly labeled as being vegetarian in that country, they were fried in oil that
contained, you guessed it, essence of beef. That's not just a matter of false advertising
forcing people to unknowingly break with vegetarianism, in the Hindu religion, not eating beef is
a steadfast spiritual practice for many. Cows are sacred to some, and not surprisingly,
people were outraged. CBS News reported McDonald's promised to make
amends by changing the way their fries are made in India, and donating $10 million to
Hindu groups. They also added that nowhere in America have
they advertised that their fries are vegetarian, because they're absolutely not. ThoughtCo. reached out to McDonald's in 2017, and they
responded saying they have no intentions of changing their recipes or making fries vegetarian
in the US. Exactly why remains a mystery. In 2017, Buzzfeed spoke to the Louisiana teen
at the center of a viral outrage. Going by just his first name, Nick claimed
he was told to clean the ice cream machine at the McDonald's where he worked: that's
when he found trays filled with mold and slime, so he Tweeted photos. "I couldn't believe my eyes. I was like, I've never seen something this
disgusting." Other McDonald's employees and former employees
came forward to support him, saying it was management's job to clean the machines and
it was rarely done right. Nick was fired after his tweets, and McDonald's
was quick to clarify that the trays pictured never come into contact with food… which
made it no less gross. According to The Wall Street Journal, cleaning
a McFlurry machine is an 11-step process that should include a 4-hour heat-cleaning cycle. That's not counting the time it takes to run
the other steps, prep the machine for cleaning, and get things up and running again. But here's the rub: McDonald's knows how difficult
they are to clean, promising in early 2017 that the machines would be replaced. FoodBeast checked in eight months later, and
nothing had changed. "Can I try a bite? "How do I share?" “I mean I can get my own spoon.” "…no." According to a Reddit thread that asked, "McDonald's employees, what is the worst thing
that has [ever] happened in the PlayPlace?" …it should probably just be called PoopPlace
for accuracy's sake. Employees revealed a ton of stories about
kids pooping in the slide, and others sliding through it, as well as in the crawl tubes,
and definitely in the ball pit. One said there was almost always a layer of
forgotten food at the bottom of the ball pit, and then swore the contents of the pit were
50 percent edible, 25 percent balls, and 25 percent poop. Tongue-in-cheek, maybe, but were they kind
of right? According to Gizmodo, Erin Carr Jordan, a
professor of developmental psychology and mother-of-four, was understandably concerned
about just what her kids were playing in at McDonald's. "You name it, if it's a thing you don't want
your child being exposed to, we found it inside these playlands." She took sample swabs from numerous PlayPlace
playgrounds, with Wired reporting they came back positive for listeria, staph, and tons
of other nasty bacteria you wouldn't want your kids exposed to. But the story gets even worse. When Dr. Carr Jordan approached a McDonald's
manager after seeing a child lick the equipment in one particular PlayPlace, she was served
with legal documents banning her from McDonald's for being disruptive. New touchscreen kiosks make ordering a breeze,
but you might want to hose down after you use them. "Who wants a Happy Meal?" "I do!" In 2018, the UK's Metro swabbed eight McDonald's
touchscreens, six in London and two in Birmingham. Dr. Paul Matewele, a senior lecturer in microbiology
from the London Metropolitan University, said of the findings, "We were all surprised how much gut and fecal
bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people
pick up in hospitals." The bacteria strains were no joke, either. One touchscreen showed staphylococcus, a bacteria
that's becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Listeria was also found at two locations,
and three-quarters of the locations tested positive for proteus, which is typically found
in soil, animal, and human feces. McDonald's claimed the touchscreens are cleaned
regularly, but Matewele suggested the disinfectant might not be strong enough, particularly considering
the number of people that use the screen, then eat their food… without washing their
hands. McDonald's has had some iconic characters
doing the heavy lifting when it comes to advertising. But you might not have noticed that one in
particular seemed to drop off the face of the Earth in 2002. Yes, the Hamburglar vanished, and according
to a McDonald's spokesperson via CNN, he was actually quote, "lying low" and "living a
quiet life." "That explains so much." But his return in 2015 had people thinking
he was all kinds of creepy. "Robble robble." The character got a complete makeover from
cute costumed character into an actual adult man. While some thought the new look was oddly
alluring… "I'm gonna venture to say, I find him attractive." "She finds creepy people hot." "No!" … AdWeek reported others took to Twitter
to state the complete opposite. Suggestaurant called him: "… the creepy guy at your high school reunion
that makes you wonder what went wrong…" Which isn't really the vibe you'd expect anyone
to be going for. "That's so you." "You're rockin that." There's not much that's creepier than using
toys to lure children through the doors of your establishment. And according to the Center for Science in
the Public Interest, that's exactly what McDonald's is doing with the toys they've been putting
in their Happy Meals for years. CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner even
went as far as to say, "McDonald's is the stranger in the playground
handing out candy to children. McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental
authority and exploits young children's developmental immaturity, all this to induce children to
prefer foods that may harm their health. It's a creepy and predatory practice that
warrants an injunction." "And the Happy Meal fun goes on and on and
on when you ask your parents to download the McPlay app." In 2010, CSPI filed a class action lawsuit
to stop what they say is effectively bribing kids to want to go to McDonald's at an age
when lifelong eating practices are being shaped. Reuters reported the suit was ultimately dismissed,
without public explanation. So, that leaves it up to you to decide if
one of their major marketing campaigns is smart or grossly irresponsible. "It only takes a few seconds to hear what
greens lovers want. The simpler, the better." McDonald's has joined the nationwide movement
to get healthier, by adding a few salads to their menu. But CBC News found those salads aren't as
healthy as you think. They reported that McDonald's kale Caesar
salad with crispy chicken and Asiago Caesar dressing is the biggest offender, with the
real issue arising when you start adding up ingredients. You're paying a price for crispy chicken and
dressing, and that price is 730 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 1,400 milligrams of sodium. Compare that to a Double Big Mac, and you're
eating 30 more calories, 15 more grams of fat, and 60 more milligrams of sodium, in
the salad! And the other options aren't much better. The bacon ranch salad packs a whopping 28
grams of fat, and the southwest buttermilk crispy chicken salad clocks in at 25 grams
of fat and 520 calories. If you're going to McDonald's, you might be
better off not trying to pretend you're there for your health. Looks like a Quarter Pounder might just be
the overall better choice. Let's be honest. You already know you're getting an insane
amount of fat and calories when you head to McDonald's. But allow us to make your lunch even grosser
by telling you just how much sodium you're eating, too. First, let's look to the American Heart Association,
who recommends limiting your daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams per
day, with an ideal limit of 1,500 milligrams. "It's hard to make healthy choices for your
family when the food industry adds excessive amounts of sodium to many of the processed
foods you serve each day." Now, consider the bacon and cheese sirloin
Third Pound Burger has a whopping 2,030 milligrams of sodium, and we're not even talking about
the side of fries you always get with it. Going for breakfast? Take the Big Breakfast with hotcakes and egg
whites, which contains an almost unthinkable 2,150 milligrams of sodium. But The Balance reported it's getting even
worse. In 2012, the menu contained eight items with
more than 50 percent of a person's daily recommended sodium intake. By 2017, that number skyrocketed to 24 items,
and in 2018, nothing had changed. Still packing an unhealthy amount of sodium
are items like the 6-Piece Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, the Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger,
and an overwhelming number of breakfast items. With sodium being such a major concern for
so many Americans, it's just not worth the trip to the drive-thru. Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
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