McDonald’s anti‑foaming agent, just like Mom used to make

McDonald’s could not have had more glowing reportage if they paid you for it (“Anthem McMom finds fast food fine,” by Jim Crawford). Except for the company’s undaunted sponsorship of massive tropical forest destruction, your gushing story really said nothing about the food other than the fact that their meat is fresh.

Not necessarily a revolution in the culinary annals.

From McDonald’s Web site:

French fries: Potatoes, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor (wheat and milk derivatives)*, citric acid (preservative), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), dimethylpoly‑siloxane (antifoaming agent), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated corn oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent. *CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK (Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.)

Wow. An antifoaming agent ... just like Mom used to make. And beef in your fries; what a great idea! I quote the French fries ingredient list only because it’s one‑third the size of so many of their other menu items. To be really enlightened, check out Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap with Grilled Chicken. It’s a chemist’s dream.

Greg Baskin
Desert Hills

Editor’s note: For additional commentary on the McMom story, Desert Arts & Lifestyles.