We all know fast food is unhealthy, but it’s also cheap, convenient, fast, and pretty tasty. At the same time, we have to understand that all those benefits come with some pretty awful downsides.
For a long time, the fast food industry has been under scrutiny for the quality and safety of its food.
After all, how much actual chicken is really in a chicken nugget?
Recently, an investigation conducted into the making of McDonald’s famous french fries took place, and its results have people absolutely shocked.
Essentially, it’s been revealed that all of this chain’s fries are sprayed with an incredibly toxic pesticide that is so harmful that the fries cannot be safely consumed until six weeks post-spray.
This investigation dug deeper and revealed this fact after the french fries sold by McDonald’s were found to contain substances that can cause cancer and even brain damage in a discovery that came to light just recently.
The man behind this revelation is none other than Michael Pollan, who is a journalist, author, professor, and activist who works at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
To better understand what goes into these fries, he’s explained exactly how McDonald’s fries are made.
To begin with. McDonald’s only uses a very specific kind of potato in order to make their fries.
This potato is known as the Russet Burbank potato, and they have a very thin, uniquely long shape that is responsible for creating the appearance of the McDonald’s fries we recognize.
They’re quite difficult to grow, which is exactly why these pesticides have to be used in the first place.
Essentially, Russet Burbank potatoes often grow with a certain defect that is known as net necrosis.
You may have seen it yourself in other potatoes, where small spots or brown lines are visible.
McDonald’s is simply not interested in these defective potatoes, even though these blemishes won’t actually cause any harm to consumers – they’re merely aphids, and they are far from dangerous.
Unfortunately, McDonald’s doesn’t accept this explanation. But there’s only one way to completely prevent net necrosis: by destroying aphids.
And the only way to do that is with Monitor, a kind of pesticide that is almost ridiculously toxic, to the point where farmers who use these pesticides will not go into their fields for a whole five days once they’ve used the chemical.
The worst part? These pesticides don’t fade away very quickly.
After the potatoes are harvested, farmers have to store than in gigantic sheds with atmosphere control because the potatoes simply cannot be eaten for the next six weeks.
They have to be carefully off-gassed to get rid of these poisonous chemicals.
Monitor, which is also known by its other name methamidophos, comes with its share of shocking side effects.
There have also been many cases of poisoning as a result of Monitor exposure, often recorded in farmers and workers who use the chemical or in those who eat foods that haven’t been properly cleansed of it.
The symptoms of poisoning from this pesticide are pretty nasty.
I guess that gives you one more reason not to eat food from McDonald’s!
Watch Pollan’s full explanation of his findings in this video below.
Share away, people.
SEE ALSO: Don’t Put Ice In Your Drinks At KFC, McDonald’s And Burger King. You’ve Been Warned.
