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Wendy’s

Flavor:

Big Bacon Classic® Double

Ingredients:

Hamburger Patties: Ground Beef, Salt.

Premium Bun: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains less than 2% of each of the following: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Propionate (Added as a Preservative), Calcium Sulfate, Canola Oil, Citric Acid, Corn Starch, Dextrose, Enzymes, Maltodextrins, Modified Food Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate, Monoglycerides, Salt, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (SSL), Starch, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Proteins (Pea, Potato, Fava Bean), Wheat Dextrose, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Maltodextrins, Sesame Flour. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SESAME. BUNS ARE TOASTED IN A COMMON TOASTER WITH PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN WHEAT, SOY, MILK, SESAME.

American Cheese Slice: Milk, Cream, Water, Sodium Citrate, Salt, Contains 2% or less of Apocarotenal and Beta Carotene (Color), Cheese Culture, Citric Acid, Enzymes, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY.

Tomato: Tomato.

Applewood Smoked Bacon: Bacon cured with Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.

Crinkle Cut Pickles: Cucumber, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Lactic Acid, Natural Flavors, Polysorbate 80 and Turmeric.

Mayonnaise: Soybean Oil, Water, Egg Yolks, Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Mustard Seed, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Flavor). CONTAINS: EGG

Lettuce: Lettuce

Ketchup: Tomato Concentrate from Red Ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Salt, Natural Flavoring, Spices, Onion Powder. CONTAINS EGG.

Sweet Onion: Onion.

Rating: We Avoid

Ingredient Score:

The Wendy’s Big Bacon Classic® Double earns a green leaf rating of 1/5 on our scale, signaling a product that falls short in offering cleaner food options. This burger is not organic, and it does not use non-GMO ingredients, two factors that contribute to its lower rating. The inclusion of added sugars such as sugar, citric acid, and fructose, along with more harmful sugars like dextrose and corn syrup, further detracts from its score.

Additionally, the burger contains a range of potentially harmful additives. These include natural flavor, flavor, enriched flour, monoglycerides, polysorbate 80, soy lecithin, calcium disodium EDTA, sodium citrate, modified food starch, and corn starch. More concerning are the known harmful additives like sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate, and maltodextrin. The presence of these ingredients raises questions about the product’s overall healthfulness.

The burger also features oils that are considered harmful, specifically canola, soybean, and unspecified vegetable oils. High fructose corn syrup, which is associated with various health concerns, appears prominently in the ingredient list, further impacting the product’s score.

The product’s composition reflects a combination of meat, cheese, vegetables, and condiments, assembled within a premium bun. The hamburger patties are simple, made from ground beef and salt. However, the bun’s complex ingredients and the processed nature of the cheese and bacon highlight the product’s departure from cleaner, whole food options. The vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato, and sweet onion, offer a contrast to the otherwise heavily processed components.

This burger is a typical fast-food item, abundant in additives and ingredients that counter the pursuit of a cleaner diet. Given its low green leaf rating, the product stands as an example of what consumers may choose to avoid when selecting healthier food options. Its composition and the extensive list of ingredients signal a need for more wholesome and less processed alternatives in the market.