When placing a drive-thru order for an egg sandwich, one might expect there to be an actual egg inside. However, a review of the ingredients found in popular breakfast products sold in stores fast food chains shows that some restaurants are selling items that might not contain what customers consider “100% real eggs.”
The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) notes that food manufacturers often use pasteurized egg products because of their convenience and ease of handling and storage.
Egg products must also be edible without additional preparation to ensure food safety, according to FSIS. This makes egg products processed in Department of Agriculture-inspected sanitation facilities more attractive to fast-food chains, restaurants and healthcare facilities like hospitals and nursing homes.
Chickens on a commercial farm. (iStock/iStock)
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Here’s a look at five fast food chains that offer items containing whole eggs on their menus, and five chains that don’t.
TO DO: McDonald’s
McDonald’s breakfast products are made with real eggs.
McDonald’s breakfast menu The dishes are all made with real, whole eggs, but each is prepared differently.
The chain’s signature round egg, found on an Egg McMuffin, is made with a USDA Grade A egg broken into an “egg ring.”
However, according to McDonald’s, scrambled and folded eggs – like those on a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit – are made with liquid eggs that are pre-cooked and folded before being frozen by its suppliers. Once they arrive at a local kitchen, they are prepared on a grill with real butter.
McDonald’s Sausage Burrito Eggs are pre-cooked liquid eggs containing ingredients such as: sausage, tomatoes, green chilies, onions and seasonings, before flash freezing to help lock in their taste, according to the company.
DON’T: 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 says its breakfast sandwich contains “whole eggs,” but the lengthy list of additives that follows sets the item apart from something you might find in a grocery store or home refrigerator.
Some of the additives listed include: water, soybean oilmodified food starch, whey solids and citric acid, depending on nutritional value.
Other breakfast menu items, such as egg bites, list egg whites along with other additives.
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TO DO: Taco Bell
Sign for fast food brand Taco Bell on May 18, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. Taco Bell is an American fast food chain founded in 1962 by Glen Bell. (Mike Kemp/In images via Getty Images / Getty Images)
After committing to sourcing real, whole eggs, Taco Bell successfully transitioned to offering 100% cage-free whole eggs at all Taco Bell restaurants across the United States.
“We are proud that our eggs come from hens raised in an open environment where they can feel comfortable and display their natural behaviors,” the company wrote in a statement posted on its website.
Taco Bell expanded its commitment, also serving 100% cage-free egg ingredients throughout its menu at all U.S. and Canadian restaurants, including limited-time offerings such as specialty sauces, according to the company.
DON’T: Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is launching a new Egg White Grill breakfast sandwich nationwide on July 18. (Chick-fil-A/Fox News)
Chick-fil-A openly admits that it doesn’t yet serve 100% cage-free eggs, but says it’s working toward that goal.
The eggs he serves are made from whole eggs, water and other additives, depending on the nutritional value.
“We are committed to prioritize ingredient transparency and responsible sourcing partnerships, which is why we are committed to sourcing only 100% free-range eggs by 2026,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
TO DO: Wendy’s
Wendy’s announced its 2020 plans for a national breakfast expansion. (Wendy’s)
Wendy’s uses only freshly cracked Grade A eggs on its breakfast sandwiches, according to its website.
Further away, the company U.S. 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 responsible sourcing goal and as part of the Wendy’s Animal Care Standards program to drive continuous improvement,” according to Wendy’s.
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Since its creation in 2004, PAACO has been the authority on animal welfare audits. Before its creation, there was no standardization or accreditation for animal welfare auditing.
The organization provides high-quality training and certifications to auditors, according to the site.
Some of PAACO’s supporting partners include McDonald’s, Tyson Foodsthe US Poultry and Egg Association and the National Pork Producers Council.
DON’T: Dunkin’
Customers are seen in the Dunkin’ Donuts store of the American multinational coffee and snack chain in Spain. (Xavi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Dunkin’ offers egg patties on various breakfast items, but whether they should be classified as “real whole eggs” is up to the beholder.
The patties contain “real” egg, but a number of additives are also mixed in.
Additional ingredients include water, modified corn starch, xanthan gum, and citric acid, depending on nutritional value.
TO DO: Whataburger
2000s America – A Whataburger location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2003. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Whataburger proved it was “committed to freshness,” offering North American farm fresh tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, eggs, poultry and bacon at its locations.
It also serves 100% fresh American beeffresh vegetables chopped daily on site, cheese made with milk from American dairy farms, and clean sucrose ketchups.
All of its suppliers comply with local laws and are committed to certified cruelty-free practices, according to the company.
DON’T: Metro
The fast food chain has announced a transition to free-range eggs by 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Although Subway uses eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, they contain a number of additives, including dextrose, guae gum, propylene glycol and glycerin.
The company has committed to switching to eggs from cage-free chickens in North America, but has not yet done so.
“Due to limited supply at this time, 10% of eggs served in the United States and 6% in Canada come from free-range chickens,” according to Subway. “We will continue to increase our percentage of cage-free eggs each year, with the goal of moving North and Latin America to 100% cage-free eggs by 2025.”
TO DO: Panera
Panera Bakery location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Panera is a chain of casual restaurants and cafes in the United States. (iStock)
Panera offers an egg sandwich made with a freshly cracked egg, which launched at the same time the company asked the FDA to clearly define what an “egg” actually is.
The company claimed in 2018 that FDA regulations did not establish a definition or standard for eggs and that many chains offered egg products containing more than a dozen additives.
However, it appears that not all of Panera’s breakfast items are made with freshly cracked eggs, as some still contain pasteurized eggs or liquid whole eggs.
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DON’T: Burger King
Fast food chain Burger King offers a number of breakfast items containing a “liquid pasteurized egg mixture,” according to the company. (iStock/iStock)
Eggs used in Burger KingBreakfast sandwiches are a “pasteurized liquid egg mixture” containing a number of additives.
FOX Business observed that the nutritional information for the breakfast sandwiches was taken 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.
