McDonald's Stirs Social Media After Reportedly Adding MSG to Its Chicken Sandwiches

McDonald's fans on social media aren't happy after a report detailing how that the beloved fast food chain uses MSG in its recently-released chicken sandwiches. The chain released the sandwiches – the Crispy Sandwich and the Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich – in Houston, Texas and Knoxville, Tennessee back in December as a competitor for Popeyes chicken sandwich, but a Bloomberg report published Monday, Jan. 13 revealed that the sandwiches contained the unsavory ingredient, setting off a firestorm on social media.

"[McDonald's] sprinkles some MSG in race to best chicken sandwich," wrote one person. "Fits their image of 'profits before [health].'"

"MSG in food being dangerous, bad for you is a myth. And we are all victims of this myth," shared another. "Time to be rightly informed."

"This is fine, there's nothing bad about MSG, as we now know," tweeted a third. "While you're at it [McDonald's], maybe go back to cooking the fries in beef tallow?"

"People.... If you're angry at McDonald's using MSG, I suggest you read the ingredients of everything," wrote another. "It's in more stuff than you think. If you still eat that stuff and dont get sick, its not thr MSG; its your brain."

"[McDonald's] - MSG? Sounds real sustainable," reacted one person. "Way to take a few steps back just to stoop down to the competition."

"[McDonald's] Well, no more chicken sandwiches for me," wrote another.

"If so will quit McD forever," tweeted another. "MSG gives many people migraines."

Despite the negative feedback, McDonald's is not the only fast food chain to use MSG. Both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes use the ingredient monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their chicken sandwiches. Additionally, the additive is considered safe by the FDA and Healthline notes that quantities of MSG occur naturally in almost all foods.

Some people do, however, have a sensitivity to MSG and may experience headaches, fatigue, or nausea from foods that contain high levels of it, though no scientific link has been confirmed, Delish reports.

Responding to the reports, a spokesperson for the chain told Yahoo Finance that they are "always listening to our customers regarding our menu offerings."

"So far, our customers in Houston and Knoxville have had a positive response to the test of our Crispy Chicken Sandwich and Deluxe Crispy Chicken sandwich," the statement continued. "Feedback and insights from the test will inform our decisions moving forward."