Taco Bell Slams McDonald’s Nuggets, Saying They Aren’t 'Real Chicken'
The contents of some of our favorite fast food items are often shrouded in mystery. Finding processed foods and preservatives you can’t pronounce on a drive-thru menu is practically inevitable. Consumers have long been critical of what makes up fast food, with the McDonald’s Chicken McNugget being one of the most maligned menu items in America.
People have accused McNuggets of being made out of “pink slime,” which the chain vehemently denies. The production of the McNugget was lambasted in the 2004 documentary Super Size Me. A federal judge has even called them a “McFrankenstein creation.”
But now that Taco Bell is developing their own chicken nuggets, they didn’t hesitate to throw some shade at their competitor. Chef Brett Pluskalowski of Taco Bell’s food innovation team spoke at a recent media event and didn’t hold back.
Pluskalowski described Taco Bell’s new nuggets as being made with all white-meat chicken marinated in a jalapeño buttermilk. “This is real chicken,” he said. “When you go to McDonald's, that's not what you see.”
Jessica Perri, Taco Bell brand marketing representative echoed similar sentiments. “This is like truly a very premium nugget. It's not a chicken nugget patty you might get at some fast-food restaurants. This is very much more elevated.”
This isn’t the first time a rival fast food chain has shaded McDonald’s. Wendy’s has long used their public platform to criticize their competitor. In fact, the chain accused McDonald’s in 2020 of “scrap[ing] up all of BK’s leftovers” to make their spicy McNuggets.
McDonald’s hasn’t released a comment in response to Taco Bell’s claims, but on their website they state that their McNuggets are made from “USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken—cut from the chicken breast, tenderloins and rib meat.”
But how much of each McNugget is actually white-meat chicken? McDonald's U.S. doesn't disclose the details, but their British locations say that their McNuggets only clock in at around 45 percent chicken. Shockingly, a large portion of our favorite fast food chicken items aren't made entirely of chicken.
You Might Also Like
