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Taco Bell is ruffling feathers in the fast-food arena with its new chicken nuggets, overtly challenging McDonald's. At a recent media event, Taco Bell's Chef Brett Pluskalowski didn't mince words, setting a high bar for chicken quality.
Taco Bell's New Chicken Nuggets Take Aim at Competitor
Describing Taco Bell's latest offering, Pluskalowski announced that their new nuggets are made with succulent all-white-meat chicken marinated in a flavorful jalapeño buttermilk. Not mincing his words, he remarked, "This is real chicken, unlike what you find at McDonald's," Delish reported.
Echoing Pluskalowski's sentiments, Jessica Perri, Taco Bell brand marketing representative, emphasized that their new chicken nugget is a cut above the rest. Grinning confidently, she stated, "This is truly a very premium nugget, far from the ordinary chicken nugget patties you might encounter at other fast-food establishments. We're taking fast-food cuisine to new heights."
According to Yahoo, this is not the first time a rival fast-food chain has swiped at McDonald's. Wendy's, a notable McDonald's critic, has continuously used its public platform to challenge the golden arches. In 2020, Wendy's accused McDonald's of "scrap[ing] up all of BK's leftovers" to create their spicy McNuggets.
The Controversial McNugget
McDonald's McNuggets have long been the subject of scrutiny. They have faced accusations of being made with "pink slime," a claim that the chain vehemently denies. The production process of the McNugget faced harsh criticism in the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, with a federal judge even referring to them as a "McFrankenstein creation."
As McDonald's refrains from responding directly to Taco Bell's claims, their website defends their McNuggets. They assert that their nuggets are made from USDA-inspected boneless white-meat chicken sourced from chicken breasts, tenderloins, and rib meat.
However, McDonald's U.S. does not disclose the exact percentage of white-meat chicken in their McNuggets, while their British locations acknowledge that their nuggets contain around 45 percent chicken.
The rivalry between fast-food chains like Taco Bell and McDonald's often catalyzes innovation. As companies vie for dominance in the fiercely competitive fast-food landscape, consumers enjoy a constant stream of new and improved menu items.
Photo: Lucas van Oort/Unsplash
