October 17, 2013

Exactly What is Fast Food Hamburger Meat Made of? Pathological Analysis...

I freely admit that in my youth, I loved eating burgers from fast food joints like McDonald's. But after getting married and being encouraged to eat healthier by my wife who felt fast food burgers were unhealthy (disgusting) because they weren't actually made of meat, I've always wondered what hamburger meat was truly made of...

Well... a group of pathologists actually performed a pathologic analysis on 8 different fast food hamburger meat. No... they did not identify the fast food chain where they got the meat.

What they found was both reassuring as well as alarming. Here are the key interesting findings:

• Actual meat content in a typical burger is only 12% (range: 2.1%-14.8%). The meat itself did appear normal which is reassuring. Most of the burger is actually made of water comprising 49% of the weight (range: 37%-62%)
• No brain tissue was seen in any samples (especially important when considering mad-cow disease is localized in brain tissue and can be transmitted to humans who eat contaminated tissue causing fatal Crutzfeldt-Jakob disease).
• Besides meat, other tissue types were seen including connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and fat (all expected in meat/muscle).
• However, cartilage and bone was also found in some samples, perhaps accrued during the butchering and processing of the meat.
• Plant material was also unexpectedly found which may have been added as a way to add bulk to the meat.
• Intracellular parasites (Sarcocystis) was also seen in a few samples which is why meat should always be cooked prior to eating (whether burger or restaurant grade A meat).

So there you have it... fast food hamburger meat actually does contain meat, though it only makes a small part of it.

What about hot dogs? Click here for more info...


Reference:
Fast food hamburgers: what are we really eating? Annals of Diagnostic Pathology 12 (2008) 406–409
Fauquier blog
Fauquier ENT

Dr. Christopher Chang is a private practice otolaryngology, head & neck surgeon specializing in the treatment of problems related to the ear, nose, and throat. Located in Warrenton, VA about 45 minutes west of Washington DC, he also provides inhalant allergy testing/treatment, hearing tests, and dispenses hearing aids.

You might be interested in reading...

  • How Long to Observe After Severe Allergic Reaction (Anaphylaxis)?
    09/24/2017 - 0 Comments
    A severe allergic reaction affecting multiple different body systems is known as anaphylaxis. Such…
  • Surgical Treatment of Noise Hypersensitivity
    10/01/2016 - 2 Comments
    Noise hypersensitivity or hyperacusis is when sounds are painfully uncomfortable for the patient.…
  • Dyson Humidifier - Best Humidifier on the Market?
    10/10/2015 - 0 Comments
    Hot steam showers are often helpful in alleviating symptoms of upper respiratory…
  • Book Chapters Authored By Dr. Chang Published On Open Access
    08/26/2010 - 0 Comments
    Dr. Chris Chang has co-authored two book chapters in a hardcover textbook entitled "Laryngeal Diseases:…
  • Why Does Airplane Food Taste So Bad?
    05/15/2017 - 0 Comments
    Image by Wikipedia People universally complain about how bad airplane food is... However, the reason may…
  • 16th Century Nose Job (Video)
    04/06/2015 - 0 Comments
    Nose jobs or rhinoplasty have come a long way since the 16th century... Here are some modern day nose…
  • Malpractice Lawsuit for Nerve Damage Sustained After Neck Cyst Excision
    09/06/2013 - 0 Comments
    Earlier this month, a malpractice lawsuit resulted in a $4 million dollar award to the patient plaintiff…
  • Video on How to Perform a Saline Sinus Flush
    12/05/2007 - 0 Comments
    Given the dearth of video on the internet showing exactly how to perform a saline sinus flush using the…

Banner Map

Pediatric Neck Masses

Adult Neck Mass Workup