# Survey: Customers slam McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell



## kleenex (Jul 2, 2014)

Survey: Customers slam McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell



> That's why:
> 
> • McDonald's ranked last in burgers. Of 21 burger chains national and regional, McDonald's was at the very bottom, with a 5.8 rating. At the top was a regional chain, The Habit Burger Grill, rating 8.1.
> 
> ...


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## Aunt Bea (Jul 2, 2014)

Only in America could a restaurant serve 27million people a day and end up at the bottom of the heap!


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## TATTRAT (Jul 2, 2014)

I've never really understood why Mc.D's was Americas favorite burger place. . . that said, I have had some delish Mc.D's in other countries.

KFC and Chic-fil-a aren't even in the same ball park, imo. KFC is frid chicken, CFA is chicken sandwiches.

Taco Bell isn't even Mexican, it's Cali-Mex, no one goes to Taco Bell if the want mexican, you go to TB if you WANT Taco Bell. I also don't get the huge Chipotle following, maybe it's just the 2 times I've had it, it was really kinda meh at best.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 2, 2014)

I've eaten at McDonald's exactly once in the last 9 years. Based on that one experience, I can see why it's at the bottom of the list. Don't get me wrong. I actually like burgers, but I'm kind of picky about how they're made. I only use certain cuts of beef for burgers at home. The stuff they serve at McD's tastes like it's made from meat leftovers with lots of non-meat fillers and artificial meat flavor added. Which probably isn't too far off the mark.

I don't know if it counts as fast food, but Mrs. K and I ate at SmashBurger recently. I thought it was pretty good. The burger had great flavor and the toppings were fresh.

I've never once eaten at a Taco Bell or KFC. Never. We didn't have either in the town where I grew up, so it wasn't anything I ever developed a taste for. When I was a kid, A&W or DQ were the only options for that kind of food, and my parents only took us there on rare occasions. I have to admit I still get a craving once in a while for A&W root beer in one of those frosty glass mugs.


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## TATTRAT (Jul 3, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> I don't know if it counts as fast food, but Mrs. K and I ate at SmashBurger recently. I thought it was pretty good. The burger had great flavor and the toppings were fresh.



that's the latest to come here to Nova. I was weary, but they sent out a $5 gift card for folks to redeem. If I'm not making them at home, my go to for a good burger has been 5 Guys. For a "fast food" place, their burgers are pretty darn good!

I'll have to give Smashburger a go, their menu looks good and far more diverse than the pretty standardized 5 Guys menu.


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## Addie (Jul 3, 2014)

TATTRAT said:


> that's the latest to come here to Nova. I was weary, but they sent out a $5 gift card for folks to redeem. If I'm not making them at home, my go to for a good burger has been 5 Guys. For a "fast food" place, their burgers are pretty darn good!
> 
> I'll have to give Smashburger a go, their menu looks good and far more diverse than the pretty standardized 5 Guys menu.



Five Guys was one of those that came out on top. We have one of those in the next town over. About ten minutes away. Have never been there. I just go to the supermarket in that shopping mall. And then back home.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 3, 2014)

TATTRAT said:


> I've never really understood why Mc.D's was Americas favorite burger place. . . that said, I have had some delish Mc.D's in other countries.
> 
> KFC and Chic-fil-a aren't even in the same ball park, imo. KFC is frid chicken, CFA is chicken sandwiches.
> 
> Taco Bell isn't even Mexican, it's Cali-Mex, no one goes to Taco Bell if the want mexican, you go to TB if you WANT Taco Bell. I also don't get the huge Chipotle following, maybe it's just the 2 times I've had it, it was really kinda meh at best.


I wonder if the McD's in the UK are franchised because most of it is horrid. There is an exception though. There is a McD's in Derby which serves very good food. The place is always busy so the food hasn't had time to hang around getting soggy and it tastes good. Despite the fact that my family only live about 5 miles further on I occasionally factor in a stop at that one.

McD's were very popular when they first arrived here because people thought they were eating "American" food. I think it McD sales over here owe a lot to  kiddy-power - children pestering mum and dad. (Although I once worked with a teacher who said her family were going out for dinner on Sunday but it would have to be McD's because her children didn't know how to behave in a "proper" restaurant!!!!) It also has the advantage that they are open when nothing else is now that they mostly open 24/7 including Christmas Day and if you are travelling and desperate for something to eat you don't much care what it is. 


We have KFC here as well. Only had it once - never again!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

TATTRAT said:


> that's the latest to come here to Nova. I was weary, but they sent out a $5 gift card for folks to redeem. If I'm not making them at home, my go to for a good burger has been 5 Guys. For a "fast food" place, their burgers are pretty darn good!
> 
> I'll have to give Smashburger a go, their menu looks good and far more diverse than the pretty standardized 5 Guys menu.



Always 5 Guys...it's worth the trip across town.


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## Andy M. (Jul 3, 2014)

All the critical reviews aside, these chains are doing great.  So do you believe what they say in a survey or where the spend their money.

I've eaten at a Five Guys once.  It was poor.  Greasy overdone burgers and just OK fries.  If I find a different Five Guys around here, I'll try again but the first experience was a bust.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> All the critical reviews aside, these chains are doing great.  So do you believe what they say in a survey or where the spend their money.
> 
> I've eaten at a Five Guys once.  It was poor.  Greasy overdone burgers and just OK fries.  If I find a different Five Guys around here, I'll try again but the first experience was a bust.



Wish I could ship you an order from ours, it is exceptional.


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## Aunt Bea (Jul 3, 2014)

IMO most surveys are worthless.  

The way a question is worded can almost guarantee the answer that the person paying for the survey is looking for.

Over the years I have tried most of these places and probably will again.  

I would prefer to spend my money at a locally owned mom and pop operation.

It won't be long before thousands of drones are hovering over our neighborhoods, delivering dinners and snacks!  

Then in the year 2022 soylent green!


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 3, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> I've eaten at a Five Guys once.  It was poor.  Greasy overdone burgers and just OK fries.  If I find a different Five Guys around here, I'll try again but the first experience was a bust.


Andy,

I have to agree with you. Below is a photo of my one and only Five Guys experience. I stopped there one day and picked up lunch to take back to the office. I really do get the whole minimalist thing. It's a burger on a bun in a bag. No frills. But I honestly felt a little embarrassed walking into my office carrying a plain brown paper bag soaked with grease. The fries were awful. Not crisp at all. I got halfway through the burger and felt like I had eaten a big, greasy rock. There's was nothing pleasant about the experience.

The guy I rode up the elevator with said it all:

Guy: I think there's something leaking in your bag.

Me: Yeah.... it's lunch. Five Guys.

Guy (with eyebrow cocked sarcastically): Hmm. I think they need to work on the presentation.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 3, 2014)

We ate at 5 Guys in the Mpls area, I found it nothing to write home about either.  And I was in London, England at the time their first McDonalds opened.  The food was apparently terrible, watched one man come out, take one bite of his burger, swear a bit, then throw it in the trash.


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## Roll_Bones (Jul 3, 2014)

We find ourselves eating in places like this when we travel.  Sometimes its palatable, sometimes its not.
Example. Burger King used to be the choice when it came to fast food.  Turns out BK in our area sucks.  Terrible. Buns not fresh and burgers not even warm.
We are down in Florida and see a brand new BK.  Just opened.
Best BK we ever ate in.
Proves its not the food itself, its the people making this food.


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## cave76 (Jul 3, 2014)

I don't know if MacDonald's has 100% carried through with eliminating the use of ammonia treated beef (of the famous Pink Slime) but I guess that one has to assume that they have.

About the inclusion of sinew in their beef---- I do have to say that when I order the Vietnam soup Pho I always order the one that includes tendon (sinew) in it. It's delicious. So I wouldn't mind sinew in my MacDonald's burger I guess as long as it's beef that's been inspected, as MacDonald's is.

Snopes says there's nothing but beef in their hamburgers:

"Those who continue to harbor doubts about the 100% beef claim should examine the ingredient lists on McDonald's web site. All of the chain's hamburgers are made from "100% beef patties"; furthermore, they define "beef patty" as being "100% pure USDA inspected beef; no additives, no fillers, no extenders." 

snopes.com: McDonald's 100% Beef

Beef is beef.

Whether a person 'likes' a MacDonald burger or not is their opinion and that's o.k. If beef sinew isn't their 'thing' I can understand not eating any MacD's burgers. 

I like both Five Guys AND MacD's burgers.


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 3, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Snopes says there's nothing but beef in their hamburgers
> ...
> Beef is beef.


So, by your criteria, any part of the cow is as good as the next? Sorry, but that simply isn't true. 

I would also point to a study performed by the Annals of American Pathology, and published on the NIH website.

Here's the gist:
Americans consume about 5 billion hamburgers a year. It is presumed that most hamburgers are composed primarily of meat. The purpose of this study is to assess the content of 8 fast food hamburger brands using histologic methods. Eight different brands of hamburgers were evaluated for water content by weight and microscopically for recognizable tissue types. [...] *Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat (median, 12.1%). Approximately half of their weight is made up of water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present. Sarcocystis parasites were discovered in 2 hamburgers.*

That doesn't sound like 100% beef to me.


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## Cheryl J (Jul 3, 2014)

I like In 'n Out.  The closest one is about an hour and a half drive, so I don't go there very often.  It's probably been a year since I was there. Fresh ingredients, and no heat lamps or microwaves.  Now I'm craving one.


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## Dawgluver (Jul 3, 2014)

I've heard really good things about In 'n Out.  Sadly, none are close by.


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## cave76 (Jul 3, 2014)

Cheryl J said:


> I like In 'n Out.  The closest one is about an hour and a half drive, so I don't go there very often.  It's probably been a year since I was there. Fresh ingredients, and no heat lamps or microwaves.  Now I'm craving one.



Oh, yes---- In 'n Out---- very good burgers but where I'm living now there are none.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 3, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> So, by your criteria, any part of the cow is as good as the next? Sorry, but that simply isn't true.
> 
> I would also point to a study performed by the Annals of American Pathology, and published on the NIH website.
> 
> ...


I don't know what the rules are in the US but here "beef" may legally include ground bones, intestines, skin, etc., as well as cuts of actual meat. The better organisations don't do this but at the cheap end of the market - who knows.


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## jennyema (Jul 3, 2014)

kleenex said:


> Survey: Customers slam McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell




And this is a surprise to...  NO ONE!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> IMO most surveys are worthless.
> 
> The way a question is worded can almost guarantee the answer that the person paying for the survey is looking for.
> 
> ...



I saw what you did there...Good one!


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## taxlady (Jul 3, 2014)

I've been to In 'n Out once or twice, when visiting my sister in California. The burgers were good.

In Quebec McDonalds doesn't have anything on their menu called a hamburger. There isn't enough meat in them to legally be called a hamburger here. Big Macs, sandwiches, double patties (or something to that effect), ... They don't have milkshakes either, just "shakes".


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## Cheryl J (Jul 3, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> I've heard really good things about In 'n Out. Sadly, none are close by.


 
One of the best things is how they treat their employees. The starting pay is much higher than minimum wage, and they get full medical (including vision and dental) plus retirement benefits, even for employees working less than 40 hrs/wk. There isn't a top out in pay as with most fast food places - the longer they work, the more $ they earn.  

It's not easy to get a job there, it's mainly by referral from trusted employees to even get a foot in the door.  They are always happy and smiling, the store and employees are spic and span, and treat you like you are the most important customer ever.


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## Addie (Jul 3, 2014)

KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are all owned by the same company. So it is not surprising to find any of them on the bottom. They are only in it for the profit. In these here parts you will find two or all three in the same building. You can walk from one to another. The only thing separating each business is an open  doorway. So no matter what your preference, they are going to get your money. Most of them have no drive thru. And they do have their very own parking lot.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

I bawled out a Manager at Arby's tonight.  Shrek wanted "lots"of Horsey sauce, I asked for 6 packets. I was told I could only have 4, I asked why and was told it was about inventory, etc.  So...I offered to pay for two extra packets.  The girl behind the counter got mad at me and slammed two more packets down on the counter.  I told her, "Thank You!" Waited until I got home to call the Manager.


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## Cheryl J (Jul 3, 2014)

That is a ridiculous policy - even worse is the way you were treated.  On the other side of the coin, the last time I went to a Taco Bell I ordered one taco and a root beer. When asked if I wanted hot sauce I said yes, and when I got home I counted* 16 *packets of hot sauce with my one lone taco.  She just grabbed a huge handful and threw them in.  What a waste.


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## taxlady (Jul 3, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I bawled out a Manager at Arby's tonight.  Shrek wanted "lots"of Horsey sauce, I asked for 6 packets. I was told I could only have 4, I asked why and was told it was about inventory, etc.  So...I offered to pay for two extra packets.  The girl behind the counter got mad at me and *slammed two more packets down on the counter*.  I told her, "Thank You!" Waited until I got home to call the Manager.


That's incredibly rude. I'm glad to read that you called the manager.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

Our every other week visit to Arby's may not make a big impact to their bottom line...but not going there again will make me happy.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 3, 2014)

taxlady said:


> That's incredibly rude. I'm glad to read that you called the manager.




She really messed up the good day I was having...


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## Addie (Jul 4, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> She really messed up the good day I was having...



But then you have us and your delirious happy kitchen to make you happy again.


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## kleenex (Jul 4, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I bawled out a Manager at Arby's tonight.  Shrek wanted "lots"of Horsey sauce, I asked for 6 packets. I was told I could only have 4, I asked why and was told it was about inventory, etc.  So...I offered to pay for two extra packets.  The girl behind the counter got mad at me and slammed two more packets down on the counter.  I told her, "Thank You!" Waited until I got home to call the Manager.



WHAT!?!??!  That place did have a sauce station.   You could have done at least 10 plus packets of sauce before you left.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 4, 2014)

kleenex said:


> WHAT!?!??!  That place did have a sauce station.   You could have done at least 10 plus packets of sauce before you left.



Nothing I could have brought it home in...


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## bakechef (Jul 4, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Always 5 Guys...it's worth the trip across town.



I love them for that category of burger, wonderfully flavorful and basic, like I imagine burgers from the past tasting.

Then for more upscale burgers we have some great pub grub around here.  I love both styles.


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## bakechef (Jul 4, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I bawled out a Manager at Arby's tonight.  Shrek wanted "lots"of Horsey sauce, I asked for 6 packets. I was told I could only have 4, I asked why and was told it was about inventory, etc.  So...I offered to pay for two extra packets.  The girl behind the counter got mad at me and slammed two more packets down on the counter.  I told her, "Thank You!" Waited until I got home to call the Manager.



That's the problem with large corporation's bean counters and the front line employees having to deal with stupid policies.  They have likely been put on a supply budget (these packets likely fall into that category because they can't be inventory controlled like ingredients) and going over that budget affects the manager's evaluation and or bonus.  My boss has to write a short essay of why she went over, it's total BS, since these are things that you MUST have in stock and are hard to control how many that customers will need.  

Add to that low paying jobs attract low quality workers who only get worse as the job wears on them.  

Bean counters and corporate employees win, customers and front line people lose.  Isn't that a GREAT business model!

You should see my manager take a deep breath when someone comes to the deli and asks for a zip top bag and proceeds to fill it with mayo packets even though they aren't actually buying anything from us.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 4, 2014)

bakechef said:


> *You should see my manager take a deep breath when someone comes to the deli and asks for a zip top bag and proceeds to fill it with mayo packets even though they aren't actually buying anything from us.*



I would never do that without buying something.  Bad manners I say.  I didn't have a problem paying for two extra packets, it was the cashier's attitude that made me angry.  I said nothing angry or confrontational, just a question and offer to pay.


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## bakechef (Jul 4, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I would never do that without buying something.  Bad manners I say.  I didn't have a problem paying for two extra packets, it was the cashier's attitude that made me angry.  I said nothing angry or confrontational, just a question and offer to pay.



Giving you a couple extra packets should have been a no brainer, it's just good customer service.

I can imagine it comes down to bad training.  Manager proclaims that "no more than 4 packets in the bag" because they are likely just putting in handfuls, this gets taken as "we can't give out more than 4 packets".  Add attitude to that and you get the terrible customer experience that you got.


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## cave76 (Jul 5, 2014)

Demystifying some facts about fast food burgers:

"Fast food hamburgers: what are we really eating?"
Fast food hamburgers: what are we really ea... [Ann Diagn Pathol. 2008] - PubMed - NCBI

A careful reading of the entire NIH article, not just the abstract, would reveal some interesting facts. First, that article was in 2008 so, in research time, that's fairly old. Science does move on in increments, both verifying and refuting some previously believed facts. It's wonderful!

http://www.hnossalmeron.com/hamburguesas/prayson_anndiagpath_dec2008.pdf

Guidelines for slaughtering, meat cutting and further processing

Using a simple Google search it's found that all hamburger has a high water content, both raw and broiled patty.

The study also identified how much skeletal muscle was in the meat. ". In 7 of 8 brands, more than 20 fragments of skeletal muscle were identified"

Yes, that's true! Pretty hard to have beef with no skeletal muscle in it! 

It would also be impossible to not have nerves, blood vessels (or water)  in your hamburger even if you raised and butchered them yourself. They're in the skeletal muscle. But the scientists doing the study were certainly precise in their study, I have to say. 

But one source, relating this study said there was no fat mentioned. Just show how facts gets confused; adipose tissue is fat. (As well, I know!  )

The plant material may be soy. But that article is from* 2008 and most fast food joints (now)  don't add soy to their meat to extend it.* It would interesting to read the same research being done in 2014.

Plant material could also be spices: oregano, parsley or ??

I don't think fast food burgers are very healthy compared to what one can prepare at home, although I do eat them sometimes.


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## taxlady (Jul 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> ...
> The study also identified how much skeletal muscle was in the meat. ". In 7 of 8 brands, more than 20 fragments of skeletal muscle were identified"
> 
> Yes, that's true! Pretty hard to have beef with no skeletal muscle in it! ...


I'm confused. Isn't skeletal muscle what we usually consider meat (other than offal)? Does that study really say that one brand of burgers had no skeletal meat? "more than 20 fragments". I don't know how big a fragment is compared to a burger, but that doesn't sound like much meat to me. Scary stuff.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jul 5, 2014)

Yes, skeletal muscle is meat...


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Demystifying some facts about fast food burgers:
> 
> [... lots of stuff ...]
> 
> I don't think fast food burgers are very healthy compared to what one can prepare at home, although I do eat them sometimes.


Holy cow.... I'm not sure what the point of your argument is. First you defend fast food with several paragraphs of hooey, and then you turn around and say you don't think it's healthy, either. What in the world???

If you enjoy McDonald's then, by all means, eat as much of it as you like and don't worry about what me or others think. Personally, I would rather eat almost anywhere than any of the big fast food chains. Most of what I've had tastes like cheap, crappy food. But maybe that's just me.


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## Andy M. (Jul 5, 2014)

I rarely eat in a FF burger joint.  However, when I do, it's because I have a grandson with me and I accept that it's not a "real" burger and just eat so I won't be hungry for a while.  Comparing FF to what you make at home is an exercise in futility.


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## cave76 (Jul 5, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Holy cow.... I'm not sure what the point of your argument is. First you defend it, then you turn around and say you don't think it's healthy.
> 
> If you like McDonald's, then by all means eat as much of it as you like and don't worry about what me or others think. Personally, I would rather eat almost anywhere other than any of the big fast food chains. Most of it that I've had tastes like cheap, crappy food. But maybe that's just me.



Steve, I'm not 'arguing'. I'm presenting some facts. People can make up their own minds.
I'm not 'defending' fast food burgers. But I do eat them sometimes, as you have.


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## cave76 (Jul 5, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I'm confused. Isn't skeletal muscle what we usually consider meat (other than offal)? Does that study really say that one brand of burgers had no skeletal meat? "more than 20 fragments". I don't know how big a fragment is compared to a burger, but that doesn't sound like much meat to me. Scary stuff.



Skeletal muscle IS meat. It's round steak, chuck roast, chicken breast just to name a few. If a person isn't a vegetarian they eat skeletal muscle almost every day. 

Fragments are not identified by size. The discussion in the full article states:
"Tissue types identified were quantified in 10 random but adjacent, high-power fields (area, 15.7 mm2 in aggregate)" for a histological survey so they could be er, em tiny. 

"Bone and cartilage, observed in some brands, were not expected; their presence may be related to the use of *mechanical separation* in the processing of the meat from the animal. Small amounts of bone and
cartilage may have been detached during the separation
process (*advanced meat recovery*). The United States
Department of Agriculture regulations allow for up to
150 mg of calcium (usually in the form of bone) per 100 g of
meat product"

The bolded phrases are worth a look at. A lot is explained there.

To see what needs to be labeled (or not) "SAFE AND SUITABLE INGREDIENTS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MEAT, POULTRY, AND EGG PRODUCTS"

Updated 2012 for the U.S.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISDirectives/7120.1.pdf


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## Steve Kroll (Jul 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> But I do eat them sometimes, as you have.


I've never eaten Taco Bell or KFC, and I've had exactly one Big Mac in the last nine years. I don't think that even qualifies as "sometimes."


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## cave76 (Jul 5, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> I've never eaten Taco Bell or KFC, and I've had exactly one Big Mac in the last nine years. I don't think that even qualifies as "sometimes."



Steve, you are right. My bad.


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