So the other day, after I kept hearing all about the delicious coffee being offered for free at McDonald’s, I decided perhaps I’d try one. I’m not at all a coffee drinker but since it was free and all, I thought what the heck, I’d give it a try. However, being the anal label reader that I am, I decided I just had to find the list of ingredients for their coffee. And boy am I ever glad I did!
I kept hearing rumors of certain coffee shops and fast food joints that actually put MSG in their coffee (yuck!). But after seeing the list of ingredients, I realized this was far worse.
I wish I had posted this sooner when the free coffee promotion at McDonald’s had just begun. But hopefully it will scare some people off of purchasing coffee from Micky D’s any time soon.
Here is a list of the chemicals being added to McDonald’s coffee: sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, Di-Acetyl Tartrate Ester of Monoglyceride, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and sodium citrate. Yikes!!
What exactly does all that mean? Here’s a breakdown on some of the chemicals:
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate – a solid powder irritating to eyes and skin, and hazardous in case of inhalation.
Tetra Sodium Pyrophosphate – when ingested it can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Sodium Hexametaphosphate – the Material Safety Data Sheet warns “do not ingest”.
Sodium Citrate – includes diarrhea as an adverse reaction. It should also be “used with caution in patients with cardiac failure, hypertension, impaired renal function, peripheral and pulmonary edema, and toxemia of pregnancy.”
That’s pretty disturbing if you ask me. No wonder we have so many health issues here and in the States – we are constantly bombarded with chemicals. It is far safer making your own coffee at home (actually, green tea or herbal teas would be the ideal).
Next time you grab a cuppa Joe, ask yourself: would you like some coffee with your chemicals?
Thanks! This is super informative. I also heard that decafe coffee, the instant variety, has some pretty awful chemicals in it.
Yes that’s definitely true. Decaf is definitely worse because of the chemicals used to decaffeinate it. As bad as caffeine is, I’d rather have some that’s naturally occurring in the coffee as opposed to the chemicals used to remove it.
WOW… the only ingredients for a regular cup of joe should read “coffee beans” but would have never considered looking at the ingredients list. Good eye!
In regards to decaf coffee, unless it’s Swiss Water Washed, or decaffeinated naturally, decaf coffees can be pretty heavy leaden in chemicals.
Thanks for the info!
I use too like Mc Donald’s coffee. But after reading what is in their coffee, I have found alternative which must healthier.
http://paulkincaide.com/do-you-know-whats-actually-in-your-coffee
Oh dear!! Thats pretty awful! Thanks Shirlky 🙂 Did you by any chance look up starbucks too?? 😉
I have had a really bad case of carpel tunnel or something affecting my thumb. The past few days I have been sick and ingested no ciffee from McDonalds or Tim Hortons. My thumb is practically normal again! I was thinking there miust be aspartame in something creating so much swealling. Thank you for the information.
That’s disgusting!! I’m wondering whether Timmies is just as bad. Actually, I kind of don’t want to know!!
Sadly I couldn’t find the ingredient list for either Tim Horton’s or Starbucks. That right there makes it kinda fishy, if they had nothing to hide then why wouldn’t they list the ingredients? Most of these companies say they don’t list the ingredients because they don’t want to give away their ‘secrets’. Whatever.
I did however come across a very interesting article that shows that Starbucks has much more caffeine than its competitors. Here is the link: http://www.slate.com/id/2107807/
I like my chemicals double-double. Just pour some cyanide in a cup, mix with 10 spoons of sugar and some cream — breakfast is served!! >_<
You know I always knew McDonalds was trash. I haven’t eaten anything from there in a few years. Still even when I did eat there I didn’t understand quite how bad it is. I recently saw an industrial size box of McDonalds french fries directly from U.S. foods.. the ingredients are rediculous, beef flavoring, some anti foaming agent, plus a few other chems. Coffee though, come on. Its amazing that they can take things as simple as coffee and french fries and make them poison.
Seriously!
It’s true – as bad as I already know McDonald’s was, I was still a bit shocked when I found even their coffee was laden with chemicals. In retrospect I obviously shouldn’t have been – it’s McDonald’s after all. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Sadly, I’m not surprised at all by this.
Way to go Nancy Drew!
I think someone’s trying to hurt McDonalds. All fast food restaurants are bad news, even Applebee’s and lots of others have their food shipped in all ready to eat. Who knows what’s in them??? We’re all better off if we cook our food ourselves! Eat fruit and veggies and be healthy….
wtf…
So this is just fine with the FDA? Should these companies be able to put arsenic in there if they want? What about dogsh!t? Brown crayons? Where are the regulators? What happened to you America? You have clearly fallen, and you can’t get up.
Wow, I was trying to convince my mother not to drink McDonalds coffee and she wouldn’t listen, I think this will convince her.