McDonald's Is Cleaning Up the McNugget

While the Big Mac is getting bigger, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are getting "cleaner." Since early March, McDonald's has been testing a "simpler recipe" free of artificial preservatives (McNuggets are already free of artificial flavors and colors) at 140 restaurants in Oregon and southwest Washington state. The goal is to expand the new recipe across the country before the Summer Olympics kick off on Aug. 5, reports Crain's Chicago Business, though a rep wouldn't confirm that. "This is very much a test," the rep says, adding the response has been favorable so far.

McDonald's hasn’t revealed the full list of ingredients, but lemon juice solids and rice starch are in, while sodium phosphates are out. Preservative TBHQ is also absent from the oil used for frying, per the AP. It's a recipe "parents can feel good about while keeping the same great taste they know and love," the company says. McDonald's also recently revised its Egg McMuffin recipe and replaced sodium phosphates in a grilled chicken recipe with vegetable starch. Last year, it announced it would eliminate human antibiotics in its US chicken supply within two years, per Reuters. (McDonald's announced earlier this month that it is doing away with a menu item.)