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    What's the McRib made of, anyway?

    The popular McDonald's sandwich is back. Find out what's inside — if you dare

    McDonalds' McRib and its cult-like following are back. Thank goodness the "disconcerting" sandwich is only returning for a limited time only, says Meredith Melnick at TIME. Because if you knew about all the unpronounceable ingredients packed into the McRib, you might think twice about wolfing down the sauce-drenched pork concoction. Think you can stomach what's inside? Read on:

    How many ingredients are there?
    At face value, the sandwich contains just pork, onions, and pickle slices slathered in barbecue sauce and laid out on a bun. But the truth is, there are roughly 70 ingredients. The bun alone contains 34, says TIME's Melnick. In addition to chemicals like ammonium sulfate and polysorbate 80, the most egregious may be azodicarbonamide — "a flour-bleaching agent most commonly used in the manufactur[ing] of foamed plastics like gym mats the and soles of shoes." According to McDonald's own ingredient list, the bun also includes calcium sulfate and ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, among other chemicals.

    Ooof. What's the meat made of?
    Pig innards and plenty of salt. Typically, "restructured meat product" includes pig bits like tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, says Whet Moser at Chicago Magazine, citing a 1995 article by Robert Mandigo, a professor at the University of Nebraska. These parts are cooked and blended with salt and water to extract salt-soluble proteins, which act as a "glue" that helps bind the reshaped meat together.

    Is it really that bad for you?
    Well, it's certainly not good for you. Though "slightly trimmer than the Big Mac," which contains 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, says Christina Rexrode at USA Today, the McRib, first introduced in 1982, still packs in 500 calories and 26 grams of fat. And despite its name, one thing you won't find inside a McRib is bones. The absence of any detectable "rib" is what gives the unnutritious mush its "quirky sense of humor," says Marta Fearon, McDonald's U.S. marketing director.

    Sources: Chicago Magazine, McDonald'sTIME, USA Today

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    570 comments

    • D-Money 19 hours ago
      Mmm... McRib, the American HAGGIS. :P
    • CafeenMan 22 hours ago
      I find it hard to believe than anyone thinks McDonald's food has anything good in it. I eat there sometimes when I'm craving a quarter-pounder but I know it's total crap.
    • Charlie 23 hours ago
      The article says RESTRUCTURED MEAT, like pig bits, heart, stomach etc, I gu.ess its eveything but the OINK. That is just OFFAL
    • joe b  •  Virginia Beach, United States  •  18 hours ago
      I don't think many regular McDonald’s customers are all that concerned with the health aspect of the food they eat.
    • A Yahoo User 20 hours ago
      Because McRib sounds Better than McLeftoverpigparts
    • Joe  •  Cleveland, United States  •  22 hours ago
      McRib is made of the same stuff politicians are made of , and that is total CRAP ! The only thing changing is the brand and the amount of the sauce !
    • Me 15 hours ago
      I'm pretty sure that if I knew exactuly what was in everything I ate, I'd probably starve to death.
    • HTC USN retired Tom W  •  Norfolk, United States  •  23 hours ago
      Tried once, never will eat another.
    • Flooner J. Schooner  •  Palm Springs, United States  •  20 hours ago
      I tell ya there is nothing like ground up pig innards and scraps of meat glued together.
    • Eric 20 hours ago
      All that McCrap coming out of your McRib is gonna give you the McShits!!!
    • Kim  •  Madison, United States  •  16 hours ago
      I inspect the food processors that provide this meat. It's full of horse peckers. Not kidding.
    • James  •  Traverse City, United States  •  18 hours ago
      McDonalds continues their commitment to a healthy menu.....YUM
    • ProlifeMama 19 hours ago
      Chicken nuggets have stomach, gizzards, organs, fatty skin AND bones all pureed together. That includes the "chicken" sandwiches that most fast food places offer.
    • Dan_G 23 hours ago
      Heart, tripe, stomach, and a protein glue. Mmmmmm!
    • Dave 15 hours ago
      When my grandfather butchered a hog, the only thing that wasn't used, was the squeal.
    • criss 13 hours ago
      "I will have three McRibs with a diet coke please"
    • adbrown 23 hours ago
      So, they use up the leftover bits - why isn't anyone praising them for being environmentally responsible? Waste not, want not!
    • Dan  •  Amelia, United States  •  17 hours ago
      Ummmmm,,,, in many cultures EVERY single part of an animal is used for food,,,,,sooooo what's the big deal??? And,,, better,,, if you don't want to eat it,,,,, YOU DON"T HAVE TO. You have a choice, eat what you want. If this is against your diet or your principles, that's okay, don't eat it. However, if you are okay with going a little nuts every once in a while, or wish to imbibe, knock yourself out, it's your right and it's okay. No one makes anyone eat it. I wouldn't suggest eating this food everyday, moderation in everything, including this delicious, no doubt unhealthy for you but still delicious product. Now,,,,, rock the food world upside down Mickey D's and put the Shamrock shake AND McRib on the special menu at the same time!
    • PeedNUrGenePool 21 hours ago
      Why can't they just feed us FOOD.....instead of CHEMICALS?
    • JAMES  •  Washington, United States  •  15 hours ago
      sounds like the writer is vegan. look the ingredeints are no different that what you find in sausage or SPAM. it's processed pork meat. hamburger is made from ground beef, you dont know what part of the cow it was before it went in the grinder and it all looks the same out of the grinder. Hotdogs are worse if you get nit picky. If you like it, eat it. if you dont, go buy a veggie burger.