December is full of exciting events: the world is supposed to end, “The Hobbit” is coming out and, of course, the holidays are here. But perhaps chief among these events, in terms of sheer emotion, is the upcoming return of McDonald’s sandwich, the McRib.
According to the Huffington Post, the McRib will be returning to McDonald’s restaurants on Dec. 17. This sandwich has 500 calories with 240 calories from fat, 26 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 980 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates and 11 grams of sugar. The meat is boneless pork on a flour bun, slathered in McRib sauce made from high fructose corn syrup, molasses, tomato paste and vinegar, among other things.
What a delicious concept, you must be thinking. Why doesn’t McDonald’s have this gem on their menu year-round? Well, the fact is that the sandwich just doesn’t sell that well on its own; in order to give it more novelty and popularity, the McRib is given the “get it ’til it’s gone!” treatment, giving it the status of “Cult Sandwich.”
But the McRib might be one to avoid, despite its manufactured rarity. According to The Week, the McRib bun contains azodicarbonamide, “a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes.” If that doesn’t put you off, let’s talk about the “meat.”
Ribs? None at all. The Consumerist states that the meaty bits are made of “ground-up low-value pork trimmings mixed together with salt and water to create ‘meat logs’ that are then carved to size.” Mmm. Delicious.
So, this holiday season, I suggest you avoid this concoction, despite your brain’s whispers of “only a limited time!” Best to let this opportunity pass.