McDonald's sprinkles some MSG in race to best fried-chicken sandwich

A spokeswoman for Popeyes confirmed its new sandwich has MSG, and declined to comment further on the ingredient

In McDonald’s Corp.’s push to make a fried-chicken sandwich that better competes with Chick-fil-A, it picked up something extra in the recipe: MSG, the flavor enhancer that has both fans and foes.

The world’s biggest restaurant chain is currently testing chicken sandwiches with monosodium glutamate, an ingredient that adds a savory taste but has also drawn health concerns from consumers. The additive is popping up in the new sandwich undergoing trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Houston, as well as appearing at other locations in tests of sausage, soup bases and different crispy-chicken fillets.

Chicken is a big deal in fast food. Americans