Q: What do (US) Chicken McNuggets™ and Silly Putty have in common? A:
dimethylpolysiloxane, an "anti-foaming agent".
American McNuggets (190 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat for 4 pieces) contain the chemical preservative tBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum-based product. They also contain dimethylpolysiloxane, “an anti-foaming agent” also used in Silly Putty.
Christopher Kimball, the founder and publisher of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and host of the syndicated cooking show America’s Test Kitchen, says he suspects these chemicals are required for the nuggets to hold their shape and texture after being extruded into nugget-shaped molds.
These chemicals don't show up in McNuggets in Britain, apparently due to the EU's stricter food laws.
I've heard a few stories like this lately. I sense that "weird shit in food" is becoming a big health topic.
Look at these cancer trends: http://progressreport.cancer.gov/trends-glance.asp . The fight against smoking seems to be driving lung cancer rates down. But odd-bod cancers of purifying organs like the liver, kidney and bladder, once rare, are becoming common.
Margaret Throsby on the ABC recently interviewed the Canadian author of "Slow Death by Rubber Duck: how the toxic chemistry of everyday life affects our health" - available at http://radiotime.com/program/p_38694/Mornings_with_Margaret_Throsby_-_Interview.aspx and quite interesting/horrifying.