The Unsavory Truth of the McRib and Other Fake Foods, and Why Russia Banned US-Raised Meat

[MineralMan]

47. Yes, commercial foods have long ingredient lists.

There's a reason for it. Shelf life and many other factors go into what's in our food. It's a choice people make. Those ingredients are listed right on the package, so people can make choices.

You can buy bread from the bread aisle or you can buy fresh bread from the bakery. The second will have way fewer ingredients, but will not last as long on your shelf at home.

Most of the long list of ingredients are not harmful to people. In some cases, people have allergies or sensitivities to an ingredient, which is why they're all listed. Any consumer can read the list and opt to buy or not to buy.

McDonalds products also have ingredients lists. You can find them on the web, or ask at any McDonalds. They'll give you a list of ingredients for any product they sell. Then, you can make a choice, based on the list.

You can also look up any of the ingredients and find out why they're in the product, what they do, and whether there are risks involved with the ingredients. In most cases, you won't find any real issues to be concerned about, but if you do, you can make a decision not to purchase.

Understanding ingredients lists isn't always easy, but many of the things on the list actually were in commercial foods 100 years ago, and some ingredients from 100 years ago were way more harmful than the ones in today's products. Look at the ingredients for the pickles in the McRib. All of those ingredients have been used to make pickles for a very, very long time. It's why the pickles look, taste, and behave like pickles.

McDonalds does not use fresh-baked bread in its sandwiches. In fact, the bread is made in a factory and shipped to the franchises. That takes time, and many of the ingredients are in there to keep the bread from spoiling or getting moldy during that time. That's why they're in there. Others are there to provide the desired texture, crumb, and crust associated with that particular bread product. Unless you know what each ingredient is there for, it can be confusing.

If you want bread without all those ingredients, any bakery, including the ones in your local supermarket, can provide that bread. It won't last in your home as long, but it also won't have those ingredients in it. It's a choice to make.