You Are What You Eat: Why Your Summer Takeaway Deserves a Second Thought [Only Part]
Sunday 2 August 2026 at 00:19
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Before You Order That Takeaway This Summer Think Is Convenience Costing You Your Health?
As temperatures rise, the temptation to avoid a hot kitchen becomes almost irresistible. After a long day at work, ordering a takeaway can seem like the perfect solution. It is quick, convenient and requires little effort. However, convenience should never come at the expense of informed decision-making.
Whilst an occasional takeaway is unlikely to cause harm, regular consumption of ultra-processed fast food has been consistently linked with obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and increased all-cause mortality (Srour et al., 2019; Lane et al., 2024). The concern is not simply the calories, but the highly processed nature of many ingredients and the industrial methods used to manufacture them.
McDonald's provides an interesting case study. The company has made significant changes to its recipes over the years, often in response to public concern, scientific scrutiny and changing consumer expectations. These examples should not be viewed as evidence that current products are unsafe, but rather as a reminder that consumers should always ask questions about what goes into the food they eat.
1. Burger buns and azodicarbonamide (United States – historical use)
Until 2014, McDonald's restaurants in the United States sourced burger buns that contained azodicarbonamide (ADA), a flour bleaching and dough-conditioning agent. Outside the food industry, azodicarbonamide is also widely used in the manufacture of foamed plastics, including yoga mats and shoe soles. This comparison attracted widespread media attention and public criticism.
Importantly, the issue was not that burger buns contained material scraped from yoga mats or shoes. Rather, the same chemical compound had legitimate industrial and food applications. Nevertheless, public concern prompted McDonald's to announce that its suppliers would phase the ingredient out of its U.S. burger buns in 2014.
Although no court ruled that azodicarbonamide made McDonald's bread unsafe, its removal demonstrates how consumer pressure can influence even the world's largest food manufacturers. It also raises an important question: if an ingredient can be removed without affecting the product, was it ever truly necessary?
2. French fries and dimethylpolysiloxane (United States – historical formulation)
For many years, McDonald's fries in the United States contained dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone-based anti-foaming agent used during commercial deep frying. Similar silicone compounds are also used in medical devices, including some breast implants, leading to headlines claiming McDonald's fries contained "the same chemical found in breast implants."
Whilst technically referring to related silicone chemistry, such comparisons can easily be misleading. Regulatory authorities approved food-grade dimethylpolysiloxane for this purpose, and its use in food differs substantially from its use in medical devices.
Nevertheless, many consumers questioned why such industrial additives were necessary in something as simple as fried potatoes. Today, McDonald's UK confirms that its fries do not contain dimethylpolysiloxane, illustrating how recipes have evolved over time in response to changing expectations.
3. What about the famous ice cream?
Social media frequently claims that McDonald's soft-serve contains propylene glycol, often pointing out that the same substance is used in certain antifreeze products and theatrical smoke machines. However, unlike the previous two examples, this claim is not supported by reliable evidence.
Food-grade propylene glycol is an approved additive used in many foods and medicines, and although it can also be used in some industrial products, there is no credible evidence that McDonald's uses it to keep its soft-serve ice cream soft. This distinction matters because public debate should be driven by evidence rather than internet myths.
Ironically, this example teaches perhaps the most important lesson of all. Consumers should question what they read online just as much as they question what they eat. Sound decisions depend upon reliable evidence, not sensational headlines.
The Bigger Picture
Focusing solely on individual ingredients can distract from the larger issue. Modern research increasingly suggests that ultra-processed foods, rather than any single additive, are associated with poorer long-term health outcomes.
The British Medical Journal has published multiple reviews concluding that diets high in ultra-processed foods are consistently associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and premature death, although researchers continue to investigate the exact biological mechanisms responsible (Lane et al., 2024; Touvier et al., 2023).
This does not mean every takeaway is dangerous or that every processed ingredient is harmful. It does mean that regularly replacing freshly prepared meals with highly processed fast food may carry long-term health consequences that many people fail to consider.
Food for Thought
This summer, when the heat makes cooking feel like the last thing you want to do, ask yourself one simple question before opening the takeaway app:
Am I choosing convenience today at the expense of my health tomorrow?
An occasional burger or portion of fries is unlikely to define your future health. But repeated choices, made week after week and year after year, almost certainly will.
References
Lane, M. et al. (2024) Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. The BMJ, 384.
McDonald's USA (2014) McDonald's announces removal of azodicarbonamide from burger buns supplied in the United States.
McDonald's UK (Current Ingredients Information) French Fries – UK ingredients do not include dimethylpolysiloxane.
Srour, B. et al. (2019) Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease. The BMJ, 365.
Touvier, M. et al. (2023) Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: Public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait. The BMJ, 383.
You Are What You Eat: Why Your Summer Takeaway Deserves a Second Thought [Only Part]
Before You Order That Takeaway This Summer Think Is Convenience Costing You Your Health?
As temperatures rise, the temptation to avoid a hot kitchen becomes almost irresistible. After a long day at work, ordering a takeaway can seem like the perfect solution. It is quick, convenient and requires little effort. However, convenience should never come at the expense of informed decision-making.
Whilst an occasional takeaway is unlikely to cause harm, regular consumption of ultra-processed fast food has been consistently linked with obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and increased all-cause mortality (Srour et al., 2019; Lane et al., 2024). The concern is not simply the calories, but the highly processed nature of many ingredients and the industrial methods used to manufacture them.
McDonald's provides an interesting case study. The company has made significant changes to its recipes over the years, often in response to public concern, scientific scrutiny and changing consumer expectations. These examples should not be viewed as evidence that current products are unsafe, but rather as a reminder that consumers should always ask questions about what goes into the food they eat.
1. Burger buns and azodicarbonamide (United States – historical use)
Until 2014, McDonald's restaurants in the United States sourced burger buns that contained azodicarbonamide (ADA), a flour bleaching and dough-conditioning agent. Outside the food industry, azodicarbonamide is also widely used in the manufacture of foamed plastics, including yoga mats and shoe soles. This comparison attracted widespread media attention and public criticism.
Importantly, the issue was not that burger buns contained material scraped from yoga mats or shoes. Rather, the same chemical compound had legitimate industrial and food applications. Nevertheless, public concern prompted McDonald's to announce that its suppliers would phase the ingredient out of its U.S. burger buns in 2014.
Although no court ruled that azodicarbonamide made McDonald's bread unsafe, its removal demonstrates how consumer pressure can influence even the world's largest food manufacturers. It also raises an important question: if an ingredient can be removed without affecting the product, was it ever truly necessary?
2. French fries and dimethylpolysiloxane (United States – historical formulation)
For many years, McDonald's fries in the United States contained dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone-based anti-foaming agent used during commercial deep frying. Similar silicone compounds are also used in medical devices, including some breast implants, leading to headlines claiming McDonald's fries contained "the same chemical found in breast implants."
Whilst technically referring to related silicone chemistry, such comparisons can easily be misleading. Regulatory authorities approved food-grade dimethylpolysiloxane for this purpose, and its use in food differs substantially from its use in medical devices.
Nevertheless, many consumers questioned why such industrial additives were necessary in something as simple as fried potatoes. Today, McDonald's UK confirms that its fries do not contain dimethylpolysiloxane, illustrating how recipes have evolved over time in response to changing expectations.
3. What about the famous ice cream?
Social media frequently claims that McDonald's soft-serve contains propylene glycol, often pointing out that the same substance is used in certain antifreeze products and theatrical smoke machines. However, unlike the previous two examples, this claim is not supported by reliable evidence.
Food-grade propylene glycol is an approved additive used in many foods and medicines, and although it can also be used in some industrial products, there is no credible evidence that McDonald's uses it to keep its soft-serve ice cream soft. This distinction matters because public debate should be driven by evidence rather than internet myths.
Ironically, this example teaches perhaps the most important lesson of all. Consumers should question what they read online just as much as they question what they eat. Sound decisions depend upon reliable evidence, not sensational headlines.
The Bigger Picture
Focusing solely on individual ingredients can distract from the larger issue. Modern research increasingly suggests that ultra-processed foods, rather than any single additive, are associated with poorer long-term health outcomes.
The British Medical Journal has published multiple reviews concluding that diets high in ultra-processed foods are consistently associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and premature death, although researchers continue to investigate the exact biological mechanisms responsible (Lane et al., 2024; Touvier et al., 2023).
This does not mean every takeaway is dangerous or that every processed ingredient is harmful. It does mean that regularly replacing freshly prepared meals with highly processed fast food may carry long-term health consequences that many people fail to consider.
Food for Thought
This summer, when the heat makes cooking feel like the last thing you want to do, ask yourself one simple question before opening the takeaway app:
Am I choosing convenience today at the expense of my health tomorrow?
An occasional burger or portion of fries is unlikely to define your future health. But repeated choices, made week after week and year after year, almost certainly will.
References
Lane, M. et al. (2024) Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. The BMJ, 384.
McDonald's USA (2014) McDonald's announces removal of azodicarbonamide from burger buns supplied in the United States.
McDonald's UK (Current Ingredients Information) French Fries – UK ingredients do not include dimethylpolysiloxane.
Srour, B. et al. (2019) Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease. The BMJ, 365.
Touvier, M. et al. (2023) Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: Public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait. The BMJ, 383.