
When you place an order at the drive-thru for an egg sandwich, you might expect there to be a real egg inside. However, take a look at the ingredients of popular breakfast items that are sold fast food chains shows that some restaurants sell items that may not contain what customers consider “100% real egg.”
The US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) notes that food manufacturers typically use pasteurized egg products for their convenience and ease of handling and storage.
Egg products must also be edible without additional preparation to ensure food safety, according to FSIS. This makes egg products processed in health facilities inspected by the Department of Agriculture more attractive to fast food chains, restaurants and care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Chickens on a commercial farm. (iStock/iStock)
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Here’s a look at five fast food chains that have items containing whole eggs on their menus and five chains that don’t.
DO: McDonald’s

McDonald’s breakfast items are made with real eggs.
McDonald’s breakfast menu All items are made with real whole eggs, but each is prepared differently.
The chain’s signature round egg, found in an Egg McMuffin, is made with a USDA Grade A egg cracked into an “egg ring.”
However, scrambled and folded eggs, such as those in a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, are made with runny eggs that are cooked and folded before being flash-frozen by their suppliers, according to McDonald’s. Once they reach a local kitchen, they are grilled with real butter.
McDonald’s Sausage Burrito Eggs are pre-cooked runny eggs with ingredients including: sausage, tomatoes, green chili, onion and seasonings, before being flash-frozen to help maintain their taste, according to the company
NOT: Starbucks

The Starbucks logo is displayed on a cup and bag at a Starbucks store in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Starbucks lists its breakfast sandwich as “whole eggs,” but the long list of additives that follows sets the item apart from something you might find in a grocery store or in your home refrigerator.
Some of the additives listed include: water, soybean oilmodified food starch, whey solids and citric acid, according to the nutrition facts.
Other items on the breakfast menu, such as egg bites, include egg whites along with other additives.
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DO: Taco Bell

Fast food brand Taco Bell signing on May 18, 2022 in London, UK. Taco Bell is an American chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images/Getty Images)
After committing to sourcing real whole eggs, Taco Bell successfully transitioned to bringing 100% whole cage-free eggs to all Taco Bell restaurants across the United States.
“We are proud that our eggs come from hens raised in an open environment where they can feel comfortable and display their natural behaviors,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
Taco Bell expanded its commitment, also serving 100 percent cage-free egg ingredients across its menu at all restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, including limited-time offerings like special sauces, according to the company.
NOT: Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is launching a new Egg White Grill breakfast sandwich nationwide on July 18. (Chick-fil-A/Fox News)
Chick-fil-A openly admits it doesn’t yet serve 100 percent cage-free eggs, but says it’s working toward the goal.
The eggs it serves are made from whole eggs, water and other additives, according to the nutrition facts.
“We are dedicated prioritizing the transparency of the ingredients and responsible sourcing partnerships, which is why we’ve committed to sourcing only 100% cage-free eggs by 2026,” the company wrote in a statement on its website.
DO: Wendy’s

Wendy’s announced its 2020 plans for a national breakfast expansion. (Wendy’s)
Wendy’s uses only fresh-cracked Grade A eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, according to them your website.
In addition, that of the company US egg suppliers must have independent third-party audits conducted annually by auditors certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO).
“We work closely with our suppliers and industry experts as part of our goal of responsible sourcing and through the Wendy’s Animal Care Standards Program to drive continuous improvement,” according to Wendy’s.
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Since its inception in 2004, PAACO has been the authority on animal welfare auditing. Prior to its creation, there was no standardization or accreditation for animal welfare auditing.
The organization provides high-quality training and certification credentials for auditors, according to the site.
Some of PAACO’s supporting partners include McDonald’s, Tyson Foodsthe U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the National Pork Producers Council.
DON’T: Dunkin’

Customers are seen at the American multinational coffee and snack company Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Spain. (Xavi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Dunkin’ offers egg patties in several breakfast items, but whether they should be classified as “real whole eggs” is in the eye of the beholder.
Potatoes include “real” eggs, but various additives are mixed in as well.
Additional ingredients include water, modified corn starch, xanthan gum and citric acid, according to the nutrition facts.
DO: What a hamburger

2000s America: A Whataburger location in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2003. (HUM Images/Universal Pictures Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Whataburger has proven that it is “committed to freshness,“offers North American farm-raised tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, eggs, poultry and bacon at its locations.
Also serves 100% fresh American beeffresh vegetables cut in house daily, cheese made with milk from American dairy farms and clean label sucrose ketchups.
All of its suppliers comply with local legislation and are committed to certified humane practices, according to the company.
NO: Subway

The fast food chain announced a transition to cage-free eggs by 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Although Subway uses eggs in its breakfast sandwiches, they contain a number of additives, including dextrose, gua gum, propylene glycol, and glycerin.
The company committed to the transition to eggs from cage free chickens in North America, but it hasn’t yet.
“Due to limited supply today, 10% of eggs served in the US and 6% in Canada come from cage-free hens,” according to Subway. “We will continue to increase our percentage of cage-free eggs annually with the goal of transitioning North America and Latin America to 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2025.”
DO: Panera

Panera Bakery location in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Panera is a chain of casual restaurants and cafes in the United States (iStock)
Panera offers an egg sandwich made with a freshly cracked egg, which was launched at the same time the company asked the FDA to clearly define what an “egg” really is.
The company claimed in 2018 that FDA regulations did not set a definition or standard for eggs, and many chains offered egg products with more than a dozen additives.
However, it appears that not all of Panera’s breakfast items are made with freshly cracked eggs, as some still contain pasteurized egg or liquid whole eggs.
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NOT: Burger King

Fast food chain Burger King offers a number of breakfast items that contain a “pasteurized liquid egg mixture,” according to the company. (iStock/iStock)
The eggs used in Burger KingBreakfast sandwiches are a “pasteurized liquid egg mixture” that contains various additives.
FOX Business noted that the nutritional information for the breakfast sandwiches was pulled from the company’s website.
Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, Subway and Burger King did not immediately respond to requests for comment from FOX Business on Tuesday.