When ordering an egg sandwich at the drive-thru, you might expect a real egg inside. However, take a look at the ingredients in popular breakfast items sold at Fast food chains It shows that some restaurants are selling items that may not contain what customers would consider “100% real eggs.”
US Department of Agriculture Inspection and food safety services (FSIS) notes that food manufacturers often use pasteurized egg products because of their convenience and ease of handling and storage.
According to FSIS, egg products must also be edible without additional preparation to ensure food safety. This makes egg products processed in health facilities inspected by the Department of Agriculture more attractive to fast food chains, restaurants and care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Chickens on a commercial farm (iStock)
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Here's a look at five fast food chains that have whole egg items on their menu and five that don't.
DO: McDonald's
McDonald's breakfast items are made with real eggs.
McDonald's Breakfast menu All items are made with whole eggs, but each is prepared differently.
The chain's egg roll, found on an Egg McMuffin, is made with a USDA premium egg that has been cracked into an “egg ring.”
However, according to McDonald's, scrambled and folded eggs — such as those on bacon, eggs and cheese biscuits — are made with liquid eggs that are pre-cooked and folded by its suppliers before being frozen. When they arrive at a local kitchen, they prepare them on a grill with real butter.
McDonald's Sausage Eggs, pre-cooked runny eggs with ingredients including: sausage, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and spices, before being flash-frozen to help preserve flavor. they are company
Don't: Starbucks
The Starbucks logo is featured on cups and bags at a Starbucks store in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Starbucks lists its breakfast sandwich as containing a “whole egg,” but the long list of additives that follow distinguish the product from what you'd find in a grocery store or home refrigerator.
Some of the additives mentioned are: water, soybean oilModified food starch, whey solids and citric acid, according to Nutrition Facts.
Other items on the breakfast menu, such as egg bites, list egg whites among other additives.
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DO: Taco Bell
Sign for fast food brand Taco Bell on May 18, 2022 in London, UK. Taco Bell is an American fast food restaurant chain founded in 1962 by Glenn Bell. (Mike Camp/In Images via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Following a commitment to providing real, whole eggs, Taco Bell has succeeded in carrying 100% whole, cage-free eggs at all Taco Bell restaurants in the United States.
“We are proud that our eggs come from hens raised in an open environment where they can feel comfortable and exhibit their natural behaviors,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
Taco Bell expanded It also serves 100% cage-free egg ingredients on all U.S. and Canadian restaurant menus, including limited offerings such as specialty sauces, the company said.
Don't: Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is rolling out its new Egg White Grilled Breakfast Sandwich nationwide on July 18. (Chick-fil-A/Fox News)
Chick-fil-A openly admits it doesn't yet serve 100% cage-free eggs, but claims it's working toward the goal.
The eggs served are made from whole eggs, water and other additives, according to the nutrition facts.
“We are dedicated to Prioritizing ingredient transparency The company wrote in a statement on its website.
DO: Wendy
Wendy's announced plans to expand breakfast nationally in 2020. (Wendy)
Wendy's uses only freshly cracked, grade A eggs in its breakfast sandwiches. Its website
In addition, owned by the company US egg suppliers are required to undergo an independent, third-party audit conducted annually by auditors certified by the Professional Animal Audit Certification Organization (PAACO).
According to Wendy's, “We work closely with our suppliers and industry experts to drive continuous improvement as part of our responsible sourcing goal and through the Wendy's Animal Care Standards Program.”
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Since its establishment in 2004, PAACO has been the authority on animal welfare auditing. Before its creation, there were no standards or accreditation for animal welfare audits.
According to the site, this organization provides high-quality training and certification for auditors.
Some of PAACO's sustainable partners include McDonald's, Tyson Foodsthe United States Poultry and Egg Association and the National Pork Producers Council.
Don't: Dunkin'
Customers are seen at the American multinational coffee and snack chain Dunkin' Donuts in Spain. (Javi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Dunkin' offers egg patties in a variety of breakfast options, but whether they qualify as “real whole eggs” remains to be seen.
The patties contain “real” eggs, but a number of additives are mixed in as well.
Additional ingredients include water, modified corn starch, xanthan gum and citric acid, according to Nutrition Facts.
DO: Whataburger
2000s America – A Whataburger location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2003. (HUM Images/Global Image Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Whataburger has proven that it isrecently committedNorth America offers farm fresh tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, eggs, chicken and bacon at its locations.
It also provides 100% service Fresh American beeffresh vegetables chopped daily in-house, cheese made with milk sourced from American dairy farms, and clean-label Sucrose ketchup.
According to the company, all of its suppliers comply with local laws and are committed to certified humane practices.
Don't: Metro
The fast food chain announced the transition of eggs from cage-free chickens by 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images)
While Subway uses eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, it contains a number of additives, including dextrose, gua gum, propylene glycol, and glycerin.
The company is committed to the transition to eggs from Chickens without cages in North America, but it hasn't yet.
Because of limited supply, 10 percent of eggs sold in the U.S. and 6 percent in Canada are from cage-free chickens, according to Subway. “We continue to increase the percentage of cage-free eggs annually, and the goal is to make North America and Latin America 100 percent cage-free by 2025.”
DO: Panera
Panera Bakery location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Panera is a chain of casual restaurants and cafes in the United States (iStock)
Panera offers an egg sandwich made with a freshly cracked egg, which coincided with the company's request to the FDA for a clearer definition of “egg.”
The company claimed in 2018 that FDA regulations did not establish a definition or standard for eggs, and that many chains offer egg products with more than a dozen additives.
However, it appears that not all Panera breakfast items are made with fresh-cracked eggs, as some still contain pasteurized or Liquid whole egg
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Don't: Burger King
Fast food chain Burger King carries a number of breakfast items that contain “pasteurized liquid egg mixture,” according to the company. (iStock)
Eggs used in Burger KingBreakfast sandwiches are a “pasteurized liquid egg mixture” that contains a number of additives.
FOX Business observed that the nutrition facts for the breakfast sandwiches were pulled from the company's website.
Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin', Subway and Burger King did not immediately respond to requests for comment from FOX Business Tuesday.