What’s still in a Chick-fil-A sandwich, and should you be eating it or...

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BUN:

23. Enriched Wheat Flour – Refined wheat flour in which the healthy part of the wheat is removed. The refining process removes most of the fiber, vitamin E, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins from the wheat. Some synthetic vitamins (not from nature) are added back in to “enrich” it (6).

24. Water

25. Sugar – This is the 3rd time refined sugar is added, this time in the bun. There are 5 grams of sugar in the entire sandwich – equivalent to eating about one heaping teaspoon of sugar.

26. Yeast

27. Soybean Oil – The 2nd time this unhealthy oil is found in this sandwich, and it will show up again.

28. Wheat Gluten – This additive is an isolated form of gluten, which is already present in the wheat flour used in the buns. It’s added to improve texture.

29. Salt

30. Cultured Wheat Flour

31. Vinegar – Likely made from GMO corn like most white vinegar in the U.S.

32. Calcium Sulfate – Also known as “plaster of paris”, this ingredient is used in some breads for many reasons, commonly as a dough conditioner/strengthener (13).

33. Monoglycerides – An emulsifier made from oil byproducts including partially hydrogenated canola and soybean oils – which contain artificial trans fat, making this additive a potential source of trans fat. Even trace amounts of trans fat are considered harmful to the heart (6).

34. DATEM – Another potential source of trans-fat, this dough conditioner is usually derived from soybean or canola oil (GMO crops) (6).

35. Calcium Propionate – Considered a safer preservative, but research published in the Journal of Pediatric Child Health links it to “irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in some children” and long term consumption has been shown to damage the stomach lining and induce ulcers (6).

36. Ascorbic/Citric Acid – Although citric acid is naturally found in lemon and other fruits, the additive form is typically derived from mold made with GMO corn. Ascorbic acid is the synthetic form of vitamin C typically derived from corn too.

37. Enzymes

38. Soy Lecithin – Another super processed additive that comes from GMOs. Just like the soybean oil, it’s extracted from GMO soybeans with the neurotoxin hexane (14).

39. Potassium Iodate – This additive is banned from flour in Europe and several more countries as it can negatively affect thyroid function (15) but in the U.S. it can be used as a maturing agent in dough.

BUN OIL

40. Soybean Oil – That buttery-looking substance on their buns is not butter at all. Instead of real butter, Chick-Fil-A uses oils that are colored and flavored to taste and look like butter. Unhealthy soybean oil is the main ingredient.

41. Palm Kernel Oil – This semi-solid oil is used by the industry as a trans-fat-free replacement for partially hydrogenated oils (which were recently banned). Unfortunately, not only is it unhealthy for the body, but the cultivation of it is killing orangutans and destroying rainforests (16). This ingredient should be banned.

42. Soy Lecithin – The 2nd time this processed emulsifier is found in this sandwich.

43. Natural Flavor – The only difference between natural and artificial flavors, is that natural flavors are derived from things found in nature. Natural flavors are a proprietary mixture of chemicals and each flavor may contain up to 100 ingredients, including sodium benzoate, glycerin, potassium sorbate, and propylene glycol (none of which are labeled) (17).

44. Beta Carotene – A yellow color additive derived either from vegetables or synthesized in a lab from chemicals (18). This makes their “buttery” spread look yellow.

PICKLES

UPDATE 3/11/22: Chick-fil-A quietly changed their pickles recently. The new pickles do not contain artificial colors (Yellow 5, Blue 1), Alum, or Polysorbate 80. New Pickle Ingredients as of 3/11/22: Cucumbers, Water, Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate [Preservative], Turmeric Extract [Color], Natural Flavor, Dill Pickle Spice, Beta Carotene [Color], Garlic Emulsion.

45. Cucumbers

46. Water

47. Vinegar

48. Salt

49. Alum – This ingredient used to make the pickles more firm is comprised of aluminum (a neurotoxin) which can build up in your body over time (19).

50. Calcium Chloride – Another additive used to make pickles more firm.

51. Potassium Sorbate –This preservative has been shown to be genotoxic to white blood cells, which could lead to cancer (20).

52. Natural Flavor – The 2nd time this proprietary ingredient is added to this sandwich.

53. Polysorbate 80 – An emulsifier linked to weight gain, inflammation and digestive problems (21).

54. Yellow 5 – Artificial dye derived from petroleum that is linked to allergies and hyperactivity in children. Artificial dyes have been found to be contaminated with carcinogens, such as benzidine (6). This is used to brighten up the color of the pickles, but simple turmeric could be used instead.

55. Blue 1 – One of the worst artificial dyes because it has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. This dye is also linked to hyperactivity and an increased risk of kidney tumors. Some research suggests it is a potential neurotoxin (6).

Does Chick-fil-A really need all these risky and artificial ingredients to make one delicious tasting sandwich??? Of course not. Most of these ingredients cut costs and make their food addicting so we keep coming back for more. This all means more money in their pocket, which comes at a great expense of our health if we continue to eat there.

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Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – What is it that makes Chick-fil-A sandwiches so addicting? This ingredient is the main culprit! MSG is a flavor-enhancer and excitotoxin that excites brain cells to death, increases food cravings, and makes you eat more than you should (6).

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GTFO with this.

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