EDITORIAL: Quality of McDonald’s meat not main beef with fast food

Eating well in college is seemingly impossible.

Having the money and time to buy and cook healthy foods is a struggle when cheap, cooked food lies in wait for fewer than five dollars. Faster than an oven and tastier than broccoli, fast food restaurants serve quick meals on every street. McDonald's is the world's largest fast food franchise, leading the race with restaurants in 119 countries. Buying a meal from McDonald's is the perfect transaction — efficient, affordable and satisfying — but what meets the eye is not always what meets the intestines.

There have been rumors that McDonald's meat isn't meat, after all. Within the last two months, some have claimed that McDonald's hamburgers contain just 15 percent beef while the remaining 85 percent is meat filler that is cleansed with ammonia during the production process. The accusations even go on to say the ammonia-drenched meat causes stomach cancer and intestinal problems if digested regularly. For years, emails circulated claiming that McDonald's beef comes from South America, a continent whose requirements for lean beef are substandard to U.S. beef.

Speculations about McDonald's meat have passed to the average Internet surfer as fact, swimming through the World Wide Web with ease, but a visit to the McDonald's website tells a different story.

McDonald's website openly answers frequently asked questions about their beef, chicken, pork and fish, including accusations of buying second-grade beef from South America.

Apparently, McDonald's uses 100 percent USDA-inspected meats, and even if it is drenched in ammonia, their food doesn't cause cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer have not classified ammonia as a cause of cancer.

If customers had conducted research on the topic, they may still be enjoying Big N' Tasties with cheese. Although grossed-out diners may have put a stop to their late-night McDonald's binges due to imaginary health risks, they should feel no rush to return to its greasy deliciousness. After all, there are real dangers to fast food consumers should be aware of.