Big Mac — DUMP

Name: Big Mac
Brand: McDonald's

Munch or Dump rates Big Mac by McDonald's DUMP — score 17/90.

A lab-built fast-food sandwich: 100% beef patty aside, the bun, cheese and special sauce stack up glucose-fructose syrup, modified corn starch, emulsifiers, stabilizers and preservatives into a classic NOVA 4 formula.

Why this verdict

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): refined oil + added sugar + modified starch + stacked additives
Special sauce hides glucose-fructose syrup and sugar plus modified corn starch
Processed cheese needs multiple melting salts (E331, E330, E338, E450) and added colorants
Bun carries dough conditioners and preservatives (E471, E282, E281), not a simple bread
Contains synthetic preservatives and EDTA in the sauce

Ingredients (12)

Beef patty (100% beef) (moderate) — Real ground beef, no fillers, but fatty and the least-processed part of an otherwise engineered sandwich.
Sesame bun (with E471, E282, E281) (moderate) — Refined-flour bun carrying emulsifier and calcium/sodium propionate preservatives typical of industrial bread.
Processed cheese (with melting salts E331, E330, E338, E450) (moderate) — Emulsified processed cheese propped up by multiple phosphate melting salts and added colorants, not real aged cheese.
glucose-fructose syrup (caution) — Industrial liquid sweetener (equivalent to HFCS); adds fast sugar and smooth texture.
Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
Rapeseed (canola) oil (moderate) — Second refined oil added to make the spread creamy and pourable.
Modified Corn Starch (moderate) — Thickener/stabilizer that gives the sauce body.
Emulsifiers/thickeners (E471, E415, E433) (moderate) — Stacked mono-diglycerides, xanthan gum and polysorbate to hold the sauce together, a hallmark of engineered food.
Preservatives (E282, E281, E211, EDTA) (concerning) — Propionates, sodium benzoate and EDTA extend shelf life and signal an industrial, not fresh, product.
Colorants (beta carotene, paprika extract) (moderate) — Added color to make the processed cheese look richer than it is.
Natural flavors + yeast extract (moderate) — Flavor boosters used to make the sauce taste more savory than its ingredients warrant.
Pickles, lettuce, onion (safe) — The genuinely fresh, whole-food part of the sandwich, but a small share of the whole.