When placing an order at the drive-thru for an egg sandwich, one might expect there to be a real egg inside. However, a look at the ingredients in popular breakfast items sold at fast food chains shows that some restaurants are selling items that may not contain what customers consider “100% real egg.”
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) notes that food manufacturers often use pasteurized egg products because they are convenient and easy to handle and store.
Egg products are also required to be consumed without further processing to ensure food safety, according to FSIS. This makes egg products processed in sanitation facilities inspected by the Department of Agriculture more attractive to fast food chains, restaurants, and care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Chickens on a commercial farm. (iStock / Stock)
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Here’s a look at five fast food chains that have items that contain whole eggs on their menus, and five chains that don’t.
RECOMMENDED: McDonald’s
McDonald’s breakfast is made with real eggs.
McDonald’s breakfast menu items are all made with whole eggs, but each is prepared differently.
The chain’s signature round egg, found in the Egg McMuffin, is made with a USDA Grade A egg that has been cracked into an “egg ring.”
However, cooked and rolled eggs – such as those in bacon, egg biscuits and cheese – are made from liquid eggs that are pre-cooked and rolled before being frozen by their suppliers, according to McDonald’s. Once they arrive at the local kitchen, they are prepared for the grill with real butter.
McDonald’s sausage burrito eggs are pre-cooked liquid eggs with ingredients including: sausage, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and spices, before being frozen to help retain their flavor, according to the company.
YOU CAN SAY: Starbucks
The Starbucks logo is displayed on a cup and bag at a Starbucks store in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Starbucks lists its breakfast sandwich as containing “whole eggs,” but the long list of ingredients that follow separates the item from something that can be found at the grocery store or in the home refrigerator.
Some of the additives listed include: water, soybean oil, modified food starch, solids, and citric acid, according to the nutrition facts.
Other items on the breakfast menu, such as egg bites, list egg whites and other additives.
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DO: Taco Bell
Sign fast food brand Taco Bell on 18 May 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images/Getty Images)
After committing to sourcing real, whole eggs, Taco Bell successfully transitioned to carrying 100% cage-free eggs in all US Taco Bell restaurants.
“We are proud that our eggs come from hens raised in an open environment where they can be free and express their behavior,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
Taco Bell expanded its commitment, and offered 100% cage-free egg ingredients across its menu in all US and Canadian restaurants, including limited-time offerings such as special sauces, according to the company.
DON’T SAY: Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is introducing a new Egg White Grill breakfast sandwich nationwide on July 18. (Chick-fil-A / Fox News)
Chick-fil-A openly admits it doesn’t yet offer 100% cage-free eggs, but it says it’s working toward a goal.
The eggs it serves are made from whole eggs, water and other additives, according to food facts.
“We are dedicated to prioritizing transparency and responsible sourcing, which is why we are committed to sourcing only 100% cage-free eggs by 2026,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
ON: Wendy
Wendy’s has announced its 2020 plans to expand breakfast nationwide. (Wendy’s)
Wendy’s uses only fresh-cracked, Grade-A eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, according to its website.
In addition, the company’s US egg suppliers are required to have independent, third-party audits conducted annually by auditors certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).
“We work closely with our suppliers and industry experts as part of our trusted sourcing mission and through the Wendy’s Pet Care Ratings Program to drive improvements,” according to Wendy’s.
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Since its founding in 2004, PAACO has been an authority on animal welfare research. Before its creation, there was no standardization or approval of animal welfare testing.
The organization provides quality training assurances and certifications for auditors, according to the site.
Some of PAACO’s ongoing partners include McDonald’s, Tyson Foods, the US Poultry and Egg Association and the National Pork Producers Council.
DON’T: Dunkin’
Customers are seen at an American international coffee shop and a Dunkin’ Donuts snack in Spain. (Photo by Xavi Lopez/SOPA/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Dunkin’ offers egg patties in a variety of breakfast items, but whether or not they should be described as “real whole eggs” is in the eye of the beholder.
The patties contain “real” egg, but many additives are also mixed into it.
Additional ingredients include water, modified corn starch, xanthan gum and citric acid, according to the food facts.
WHAT: Whataburger
2000s America – Whataburger location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2003. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Whataburger has proven to be “committed to innovation,” serving farm-fresh North American tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, eggs, chicken and bacon at its locations.
It also offers 100% fresh American beef, fresh vegetables cut in-house daily, cheeses made with milk from American dairy farms, and sucrose clean label ketchups.
All of its suppliers comply with local law and are committed to certified humane practices, according to the company.
DON’T SAY: The subway
The fast food chain has announced a transition to eggs from cage-free chickens by 2025. (Photos by Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
Although Subway uses eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, they contain many additives including dextrose, guae gum, propylene glycol, and glycerin.
The company has committed to transitioning to eggs from cage-free chickens in North America, but has yet to do so.
“Due to the current limited supply, 10% of eggs served in the US and 6% in Canada come from cage-free chickens,” according to Subway. “We will continue to increase our percentage of cage-free eggs every year with the goal of transitioning North America and Latin America to 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.”
Make it: Panera
Panera Bakery location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Panera is a chain of casual dining restaurants and cafes in the US (Stock)
Panera is offering an egg sandwich made with a freshly cracked egg, which came out at the same time as the company is asking the FDA to clearly define what an “egg” really is.
The company said in 2018 FDA regulations did not establish a definition or standard for eggs, and many chains offer egg products with more than a dozen ingredients.
However, it appears that not all of Panera’s breakfast items are made with fresh-cracked eggs, as some still contain unpasteurized eggs or whole eggs.
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DON’T: Burger King
The Burger King fast food chain carries a number of breakfast items that contain “a liquid egg-pasteurized mixture,” according to the company. (iStock / Stock)
The eggs used in Burger King’s breakfast sandwiches are a “pasteurized egg mixture” that contains a number of additives.
FOX Business saw the sandwich’s nutritional facts from the company’s website.
Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, Subway and Burger King did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday from FOX Business.
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