McDonald's China spokesperson preservative-laden meals
By admin on 2014-12-29

McDonald's officials in China tried to reassure customers Monday that its famous hamburgers, French fries and other items are safe to eat in China despite published claims by an American nutritionist that the chain serves preservative-laden meals.

"No preservatives are added to the beef patties in McDonald's hamburgers," a statement said. The statement, issued by the company's headquarter in Shanghai, also said salt and pepper are the only other ingredients added to hamburgers.

The statement went on to assure fast food lovers that they should feel safe about everything from French fries to nuggets but did not mention anything about preservatives in other food items.

McDonald's China said all of its menu items are "safe and the quality is in line with government standards. From the farmland to the dining table, our food has to go through more than 10 rounds of sanitation and quality inspection, so we can ensure the quality and freshness of our products."

Joann Bruso, 62, a nutritionist, said McDonald's hamburgers contain high amounts of preservatives. She said her claims were based on an experiment at home.

Bruso said she bought a meal from McDonald's a year ago that failed to decompose even after a year, the Daily Mail reported.

A picture of the hamburger and French fries, which she posted on her blog, appeared not be drying up and the bun was just dried and cracked.

McDonald's China spokesman Jacky Sun told the Global Times that all of the nutritionist's accusations are "rumors and groundless."

"If it is true, it would be too unbelievable," said Jia Jianbin, secretary-general of Chinese Society of Nutrition.

Jia said that even when kept in a refrigerator, foods like hamburgers and French fries would decompose after a year. Jia said only tests could help prove if McDonalds uses preservatives.

The news was met with mixed views from diners Monday.

Wang Ting, a Beijing resident, told the Global Times that she was "appalled" at the news.

"It is hard to believe. And this will definitely have an impact on me because given the option, I might not choose McDonald's after seeing this report," she said.

However, Zhang Chunmei, a resident of Guangzhou, told the Global Times Monday that such reports would not change her attitude toward the fast food giant.

"It is simply an individual experiment and I doubt the authenticity of it," Zhang said. "This would not change my affection for the food."

Hou Caiyun, a nutrition expert with China Agriculture University, said moderate amount of preservatives would not hurt people's health.

The bun has several preservatives such as calcium and sodium propionate. The fries contain preservatives such as citric acid and sodium acid pyrophosphate that maintain the color.