麦当劳麦乐鸡添加剂事件始末

近日，麦当劳被爆出在麦乐鸡中添加了聚二甲基硅氧烷和特丁基对苯二酚两种化学物质，用来维持形状和口感。这件事情的起因是因为一位网友比照了英美两国麦乐鸡的不同引发的。这位顾客详细阅读了英美两国的麦乐鸡营养成分表，对两国的差异表示了愤怒。

cnn记者经过调查后，在cnn网站上发起了一场健康讨论。

U.S. McNuggets not only contain more calories and fat than their British counterparts, but also chemicals not found across the Atlantic.

美国的麦乐鸡不只卡路里和脂肪都比英国的高，还包含了英国麦乐鸡没有的两种化学物质。

American McNuggets (190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat for 4 pieces) contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product. They also contain dimethylpolysiloxane, “an anti-foaming agent” also used in Silly Putty.

美国的麦乐鸡（每四块包含卡路里190，12克脂肪，2克饱和脂肪），包含从石油中提炼的TBHQ（特丁基对苯二酚）和通常用于橡皮泥制作的二甲基聚硅氧烷两种化学物质。

By contrast, British McNuggets (170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat for 4 pieces) lists neither chemical among its ingredients.

相反，英国的麦乐鸡（每四块包含卡路里170，9克脂肪，1克饱和脂肪）没有化学物质。

McDonald’s says the differences are based on the local tastes: In the United States, McNuggets are coated and then cooked, in the United Kingdom, they are cooked and then coated. As a result, the British McNuggets absorb less oil and have less fat.

麦当劳把原因归罪于两国烹饪方法不同。因为英国是先炸鸡后裹粉，美国是先裹粉再炸，所以会有更多的油和更多的脂肪。

Marion Nestle, a New York University professor and author of “What to Eat,” says the tertiary butylhydroquinone and dimethylpolysiloxane in the McNuggets probably pose no health risks. As a general rule, though, she advocates not eating any food with an ingredient you can’t pronounce.

纽约大学的教授Marion Nestle 说，特丁基对苯二酚和二甲基聚硅氧烷对人体可能不会有危险，但是作为通用规则，她建议不要吃任何含有你不认识的成分的食物。

Dimethylpolysiloxane is used as a matter of safety to keep the oil from foaming, McComb says. The chemical is a form of silicone also used in cosmetics and Silly Putty. A review of animal studies by The World Health Organization found no adverse health effects associated with dimethylpolysiloxane.

二甲基聚硅氧烷是一种消泡剂。这种物质是硅树脂的一种，也用于制造化妆品和橡皮泥。世界卫生组织的动物研究目前尚未发现这种物质有任何不良反应。

TBHQ is a preservative for vegetable oils and animal fats, limited to .02 percent of the oil in the nugget. One gram (one-thirtieth of an ounce) can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse," according to “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives.”

特丁基对苯二酚是一种对动物油和植物油的防腐剂，在鸡块中用量是0.02%。根据“食品添加剂的顾客词典”记载，1克就能导致呕吐、耳鸣、精神错乱、窒息和虚脱等反应。

Christopher Kimball, the founder and publisher of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and host of the syndicated cooking show America’s Test Kitchen, says he suspects these chemicals are required for the nuggets to hold their shape and texture after being extruded into nugget-shaped molds.

电视饮食节目主持人克里斯托佛说他怀疑这些化学物质的使用是用来让鸡块在挤压后还能保持形状用的。

“The regulations in Europe, in general, around food are much stricter than the U.S.,” Kimball says.

他说，“通常意义来说，欧洲的饮食标准比美国更为严格”。