The ubiquity of corn in US fast food

09Jan09

The authors of this study analysed a cross-region and cross-restaurant chain sample of fast food for specific carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The carbon isotope in question, ¹³C, is known to occur more commonly in corn-fed beef than in grass-fed beef, and also more commonly in corn-fed chicken than in cereal-fed chicken. Their analysis of beef patties bought from Burger King, McDonald and Wendy’s outlets across the US showed that all the beef patties, save for 12 samples from West Coast Burger King outlets, came from corn-fed cows. All of the chicken sampled had levels of ¹³C consistent with a completely corn-based diet. Their analysis of levels of ¹⁵N in chicken samples revealed a signature of uniform confinement and high exposure to heavily fertilized feed for all three restaurant chains, more markers of factory farming. Finally, their analysis of fries showed that Wendy’s used corn oil exclusively, while BK and McD’s use other vegetable oils.

Why should you care? Well, corn agriculture is heavily subsidized by the US government. Yet it requires more fertilizers and pesticides than crops like grain sorghum, rice, soy and wheat. Fertilizers and pesticides in turn require fossil fuels in their production process. Corn diets exacerbate the production of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, in cow burps and farts. Because cows are not adapted to eat corn, antibiotics are mixed with cow corn feed to reduce the flowering of e. coli in their guts that would occur otherwise. More antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains is not good news for anyone.

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