Not to eat in fast food places per their workers

ashleygen2012

This isn't as bad as most, but be leary of "healthy" menu options.

When I was 15 and worked at a fast food restaurant the "grilled" chicken was slathered in a butter sauce when cooked.

If we were running low on/out of reduced fat items they would mix it or completely replace it with the regular kind, like low fat cheese, mayo, salad dressing.

katie1286

I guess I'm a disgusting person, but some of this seems like practical stuff that I might do myself. Like, why wouldn't you use meat that's been on the grill too long for chili or leftover chicken for pot pies? And I'm not above eating stuff that fell on the floor in my own house, either.

To avoid any and all grossness in the food you eat not only do you have to prepare it yourself, but you have to grow it yourself, too.

THIS. So much this.
I totally use leftovers in my other meals. In fact, I got married a month ago - and we had leftover chicken from the dinner. For the next week, I specifically planned meals that would use up some of the leftovers... I don't see anything wrong with it.

And yes, even if you're preparing your own food at home - unless you've grown it all yourself - you are still running some of these same risks. Not going to stop me from eating - fast food or otherwise..

Jess830409

This isn't as bad as most, but be leary of "healthy" menu options.

When I was 15 and worked at a fast food restaurant the "grilled" chicken was slathered in a butter sauce when cooked.

If we were running low on/out of reduced fat items they would mix it or completely replace it with the regular kind, like low fat cheese, mayo, salad dressing.

That is one of my fears - when you order "low-fat" dressing or "low-fat" sour cream how do you REALLY know that it isn't just the regular kind lol. I guess that is why we should all limit eating out and just make healthy stuff at home when we can :-)

msuspartan10

...I use leftover hamburger/meatloaf in chili the next day. Opps.


I worked at Subway and let me just say, don't eat the tuna. We just add more tuna and mayo to old tuna and stirred it up day after day, unless there was so little left it wasn't worth the effort/the pan was ultra crusty.

This is another one that depends on the store. I worked at a subway for a number of years and nothing was ever kept beyond it's date or new mixed with old food. I would still avoid the tuna thought because holy mayonnaise, batman.

tomomatic

This thread is totally harshing my fast food buzz.

I worked in a Chinese Restaurant so here's what i'll tell you not to order:
- General Tso's chicken. If you were to take the crispy chunks of chicken and soak it in water for a day, you'll see that those massive looking chunks of chicken are actually 50% chicken or less (by volume). The deep fried breading absorbs the sweet, tangy sauce and creates a massive ball of empty calories with just the tiniest bit of chicken in the center.

- Also, Never order Egg Foo Yung. If you even see it on the menu, you're in a "ghetto-Chinese" restaurant and not in a restaurant that a Chinese person would choose to dine. The gravy in the Egg Foo Yung is typically made of fat/lard + flour + MSG and a few other things. The egg patties are typically deep fried omelets. There's so much cholesterol in this. Avoid!!!

pluckabee

I used to work at KFC, and I remember having to strip off all the chicken off the leftovers and saving it for the pot pies. So, gross old soggy chicken that's been in the warmer for hours and then manually stripped off by uncaring dirty teenagers that just want to go home and thrown into a bag into the deep freeze for up to 6 months.

Mmmmmmm.

I don't know what KFC you worked at but per corporate guidelines that is absolutely untrue, not to mention it violates OSHA.
I used to manage a KFC so I know this for a fact. End of rant.

This was 99-2000 and it absolutely happened. Worst part of that job.

Unless you didn't use gloves, I really don't see the problem with stripping off chicken to use in a pie.

It's something I would do at home with a leftover roast chicken.

musycnlyrics

The Wendy's Chili is not made like that (at least it's not supposed to be). I worked at Wendy's as a teenager for a while and the meat for the chili comes in a separate bag, pre seasoned and pre cooked. Just add water.

And if that fact is untrue, I can only assume that the rest are also probably untrue as well.

At the Wendy's YOU worked at it didn't happen... but you can't speak for them all.

I worked at Wendys years ago (circa 2002) and we definitely put the burnt hamburgers in the chili. But as the other poster said, there was "chili meat" that came preseasoned, frozen in a bag, we just added the extra hamburger or used the burnt burger meat instead.
Also, when wendys used to serve fried chicken, we had this huge vat of batter to dip the chicken in before putting in flour...it definitely had raw eggs in it (the other ingredients were unknown to me) and it would sit out all day. Sometimes over night. and we would use it till it was gone. Sometimes it smelled funny. I havent eaten chicken at a fast food place in about 10 years because of that experience.

cinderwolfeh

Where I work I actually think a lot of our food is not super terrible. yes the chicken strips and burgers are deep fried and full of sodium but just cutting into them you can tell its real chicken. Fries and onion rings are really bad for you and our chicken pieces are tasteless and gross. but the burgers are all beef nd cooked from frozen all day so they are pretty freshly cooked when they are served. and our grilled chicken is stored in the fridge not n water until we cook it . Plus nice fresh veggies and buns and such.

Vegetarian is so true we cook them right on the same grill and right along side the beef burgers/bacon/everything else. So yea its' veggie burger' but its cooked in oil and fat of beef burgers so defeats the purpose. No fast food place is gonna work to hard to cook them in a separate vegetarian zone.

I do cringe when people order large sodas though... no one needs 20 ounces of soda...

I work at an A&W by the way and eat there occasionally if I ad a long shift and a break near dinner time ( I cook up a fresh chicken grill patty with whole wheat bun and a bunch of veggies and a salad so its pretty healthy for what its worth. )

sugaree1202

I guess I'm a disgusting person, but some of this seems like practical stuff that I might do myself. Like, why wouldn't you use meat that's been on the grill too long for chili or leftover chicken for pot pies? And I'm not above eating stuff that fell on the floor in my own house, either.

To avoid any and all grossness in the food you eat not only do you have to prepare it yourself, but you have to grow it yourself, too.

THIS. So much this.
I totally use leftovers in my other meals. In fact, I got married a month ago - and we had leftover chicken from the dinner. For the next week, I specifically planned meals that would use up some of the leftovers... I don't see anything wrong with it.

And yes, even if you're preparing your own food at home - unless you've grown it all yourself - you are still running some of these same risks. Not going to stop me from eating - fast food or otherwise..

The issue isn't using leftovers - it's using food that was still sitting in a warmer at the end of the day. If you made dinner, then let the leftovers sit in 90 degree heat for 8 - 12 hours, would you still put it in the fridge, then use it for another meal? Also, there is an expectation that when a person goes to a restaurant, diner, fast food chain, etc that the food fresh and cooked to order not to mention there are health codes and regulations that need to be followed regarding how long food can be stored for, at what temp, etc. Eating leftovers or something that fell on the floor at home is completely different than unknowingly eating leftovers - which could be from a week or more prior, you just don't know - or something that fell on the floor in a diner, fast food place or restaurant.

MisterDerpington

I've learned to not trust everything I read on Reddit.

mjl54

i worked at Wendy's in the 80's and we DID use the old hamburger pattys.

never bothered me I still eat their chili.

jonnythan

The fact that Wendy's uses old hamburger patties in their chili and there aren't mass outbreaks of food poisoning as a result is pretty good evidence that what they're doing is fine.

ninerbuff

Anecdotal. These are experiences CLAIMED to have happened.

Kinda like how teenagers like to claim they done outlandish stuff when they really haven't.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

candicane32081

It goes beyond the fast food industry! I used to work in a poultry factory when I was younger, and lets just say that it was unbelieveable some of the things I saw. If you don't grow your own food or raise your on food, then some of the food you get from the grocery stores have been dropped or left out for too long. You just can't think about it.

smantha32

The Wendy's Chili is not made like that (at least it's not supposed to be). I worked at Wendy's as a teenager for a while and the meat for the chili comes in a separate bag, pre seasoned and pre cooked. Just add water.

And if that fact is untrue, I can only assume that the rest are also probably untrue as well.

I worked at Wendy's when i was 19, and the chili meat was definitely dried out old grill meat that was saved.

luckycharm29

Cannot speak for Wendy's however, I have worked at Burger King and Tim Hortons.

Unsure how it is in other places around the world however where I live things are kept up to code. Cameras through out the kitchen, front end counter, etc. Upper management constantly coming in, store owners, food inspectors.

Food properly stored, everything had it's place, food rotated ... old in front, new in back, labels on everything showing date & time.
Food safety is mandatory and temperatures taken every 30 min to an hour.

I am sure there are things that happen at stores but in fast food industries that I have worked in I really have had no complaint when it comes to food safety.

marshmallow8978

I have worked in many restaurants and I think it really depends on the individuals working there. These things don't deter me from eating out, it is a risk I am willing to take sometimes.
That said, some people question the food/meat we buy at the grocery store, unless you raise/butcher/prepare your food 100% then you take a risk, its just the way it is.

syedsaad

Do you guys know if fast food restaurants fry their fries in the same oil in which they fry meat (if somebody has actually witnessed)

jonnythan

Do you guys know if fast food restaurants fry their fries in the same oil in which they fry meat (if somebody has actually witnessed)

They have a separate deep fryer specifically for fries. They're not vegetarian though.

cinderwolfeh

Yeah our fries are fired in the same 2 friers as our chicken plus god only knows what type of oil it is.


Oh and anther thing that grossed me out for no good reason is that we use gravy mix mixed with water then we add oil from the fryer to the gravy