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Reports of fecal bacteria in drinks at chains like McDonald's are a red flag for bigger problems, a scientist explains

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big mac mcdonalds meal

Add this to the list of potential health reasons to avoid fast food: fecal bacteria.

A recent BBC investigation reportedly found traces of the bacteria in samples of iced drinks from Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s.

British investigators tested 10 samples at each of the chains for traces of the microbes. KFC fared the worst, with seven of its samples coming up positive for the bacteria. Burger King tested positive in six samples, and McDonald's tested positive in three.

A spokesperson for McDonald's told Business Insider that there are currently no specific health standards in place when it comes to ice production — the only regulations that exist are for unfrozen drinking water. "We would therefore welcome the introduction of an agreed standard and would be happy to work with relevant industry bodies," they said.

The findings come just a month after the same investigation team found traces of fecal bacteria in samples of iced drinks from Starbucks and two other popular UK coffee chains.

burger king whopper The presence of fecal bacteria — which can cause diarrhea if ingested — could be a sign that there are nastier germs also present, said Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at New York University.

"Where there are fecal bacteria present it is an indicator that there could be other germs that are pathogenic [or illness-causing] like Norovirus or hepatitis A or Salmonella that can make you sick," Tierno told Business Insider.

It also suggests that workers at the chains are not keeping themselves clean and that they "have dirty bare hands," he said.

In response to the reports, KFC has shut down its ice machines at the chains that tested positive and has inspected and cleaned ice machines in all of its other locations across the UK, a spokesperson for the company told Business Insider.

"This report is an opportunity for us to emphasize our training procedures and ensure all operations and safety standards are upheld in all Burger King restaurants," a Burger King representative told Business Insider.

SEE ALSO: Undercover investigation finds fecal bacteria in ice at McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King

DON'T MISS: How often you should wash your bath towel, according to a microbiologist — and what happens when you don't

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We tried fried chicken from 4 fast-food chains — and the winner was clear

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Fried Chicken Taste Test

The INSIDER Summary:

  • We tried fried chicken from Popeyes, Church's, Chick-fil-A, and KFC to see which makes it the best.
  • KFC was the clear loser — its chicken was dry, and its batter was bland.
  • Chick-fil-A came in third place because while we loved the batter's flavor and seasoning, the chicken didn't taste as authentic because the chain doesn't offer meat on the bone.
  • Church's came in second place. The meat was juicy and tender, but its batter wasn't as flavorful as Popeyes, which came in first place.


A good piece of fried chicken has to achieve the difficult balance of being crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Not all restaurants get it right — which is why we set out to find which ones do.

We sampled fried chicken from four popular fast-food chains:

  • Popeyes
  • Church's Chicken
  • Chick-fil-A
  • KFC

Keep scrolling to see which won.

Church's Chicken

Church's Fried Chicken

Our first stop was the popular chicken chain Church's Chicken. We ordered the original chicken three-piece meal, which comes with a honey-butter drizzled biscuit for $5.43.

At first bite, we were struck by the juiciness of the chicken and the perfect crunch of the breading. But while the chicken was full of flavor, the batter was pretty bland.

Chick-fil-A

Chick fil A Chicken Strips

Our next stop was Chick-fil-A, which claims to be "Home of the original chicken sandwich."

We had high expectations for this chicken, as Chick-fil-A boasts that its chicken dishes are made from the most tender part of the breast then "marinated in special seasonings, hand-breaded, and pressure cooked to perfection."

We decided to order the three-count Chick-n-Strips, which cost $5.11.

Our first reaction upon seeing the strips was disappointment. They seemed small compared with Church's. That said, part of the size discrepancy stemmed from the fact that this chicken does not come on the bone, and it appears to be ground-up meat essentially a glorified chicken nugget.

Once we took a bite, however, it was hard not to love this chicken. The breading was bursting with flavor (unlike Church's), and the chicken had just the right amount of tenderness.

But while Chick-fil-A was delicious, it tasted more like a chicken nugget than true, on-the-bone fried chicken.

Popeyes

Popeye's Fried Chicken

It's no secret that Popeyes has quite the fan base, so we were excited to put this chain to the test.

Popeyes boasts bona fide real chicken that it says is "marinated for at least 12 hours, then hand-battered, hand-breaded, and bursting with bold Louisiana flavor."

We once again ordered a three-piece meal, which came in at $5.65.

We were immediately impressed with the first bite. This chicken had everything. The inside was just as juicy as Church's, yet the breading was full of delicious flavor and seasoning.

KFC

KFC Fried Chicken

If any chain could beat out Popeyes, we thought it had to be KFC. A worldwide chicken chain, KFC also has quite a large fan base to its name.

With high hopes, we ordered the two-piece meal, this time coming in at $5.99 — which is quite a bit more expensive than the other chains, considering you're getting less meat.

At first bite, we were super disappointed. The chicken was very mediocre. The meat was incredibly dry compared with the others, and the breading was thin and tasteless. Though the batter did have some flavor, the chicken was hard and lacked the flaky crunch the others had.

In the end, we wondered why KFC is so popular.

The final ranking

Fried Chicken Taste Test_Skitch

After finishing our taste test, there was no doubt in our mind that Popeyes was the champion. Its chicken had the best crunch, flavor, and tenderness. We also had a clear loser in KFC. Its chicken was dry, and its batter was bland.

The real debate came when deciding between Chick-fil-A and Church's for second place. Both were solid contenders, so we called in a backup taste-tester to settle the matter. We chose Church's over Chick-fil-A because it was more authentic than Chick-fil-A's ground meat.

All in all, if you want excellent fried chicken, your best bet is Popeyes or Church's. If you're willing to sacrifice a true, on-the-bone experience, Chick-fil-A's strips are your best bet. But don't bother with KFC.

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KFC is bringing Colonel Sanders back from the dead in a series of unsettling ads (YUM)

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Teens Still KFC

After two years of hiring comedians playing Colonel Sanders, KFC is returning to its roots with its latest celebrity colonel. 

On Tuesday, the fried chicken chain announced it is bringing the original colonel, Harland Sanders, back from the dead in a series of new ads launching this week.

The ads will highlight the chain's Original Recipe chicken, melding grainy footage of Sanders from the '60s and '70s with new footage. In one commercial, for example, Harland Sanders shares the screen with Norm Macdonald, one of the many comedians who have played the colonel in more-recent KFC marketing. 

"[N]o one can play the Colonel like the Colonel can play the Colonel," George Felix, KFC U.S. director of advertising, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, our original Colonel stopped making ads in the 1970s, so we utilized technology to bring him into the 21st century to sell modern-day offers like our $5 Fill Up and $10 Chicken Share himself."

colonel sanders kfc

In his life, Sanders — who died in 1980 — was notoriously licentious in a way that may not be tolerated from most modern spokespeople.

He was known for cheating on his first wife, with his second wife’s nephew saying he "found what he needed to find in other places," according to 'Colonel Sanders and the American Dream.' A 1970 'New Yorker' article quotes him observing a crowd of housewives saying: "That gal's let herself go… Look at the size of that one… I don’t know when I’ve seen so many fat ones… Lord, look at 'em waddle."

Despite some initial backlash to bringing back the Colonel in 2015, KFC's Sanders-centric marketing push has been a success. The campaign, along with an effort to improve food quality and customer service, helped spark a turnaround for the chain, which reported in May that same-stores sales increased 2% in the most recent quarter. 

SEE ALSO: KFC just published a ridiculously raunchy and bizarre romance novella starring a Casanova Colonel Sanders — here are the steamiest parts

Join the conversation about this story »

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Why Chick-fil-A's restaurants sell 4 times as much as KFC's

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Chick fil A

Chick-fil-A is dominating fast food.

The company generates more revenue per restaurant than any other fast-food chain in the US, and it's only open six days a week.

Chick-fil-A's average sales per restaurant in 2016 were $4.4 million, according to a new report from QSR magazine.. Its fried-chicken competitor KFC sold $1.1 million per restaurant that year.

Whataburger ranked a distant second to Chick-fil-A with $2.7 million in per-restaurant sales, followed by Panera and Jason's Deli.

Despite its relatively small size, Chick-fil-A also ranks highly in terms of its total sales.

The chain generated nearly $8 billion in revenue in 2016, making it the eighth-largest fast-food chain in the US, according to QSR.

Chick-fil-A has only 2,100 restaurants, and none of its restaurants are open on Sundays. For comparison, McDonald's has more than 14,100 locations in the US, Taco Bell has nearly 6,300, and KFC has more than 4,160 — most of which are open seven days a week.

Chick-fil-a momsYet, Chick-fil-A generates more annual revenuethan dozens of other chains that have more than twice as many US locations, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Arby's.

So what is the secret to Chick-fil-A's success?

Beyond the food, which gets high ratings from customers, many analysts point to Chick-fil-A's exceptional service.

The chain consistently ranks first in restaurant customer-service surveys. In reviews, customers rave about the restaurants' cleanliness, quick, convenient service, and hardworking employees.

Highly regarded customer service is uncommon in fast food — an industry notorious for paying low wages.

But it appears that Chick-fil-A doesn't pay much more than the industry average. Chick-fil-A pays about $8.51 an hour, according to Glassdoor. The average hourly wage in the fast-food industry is $8.28, according to PayScale.

Chick-fil-A says its service is so consistent because it invests more than other companies in training its employees and helping them advance their careers — regardless of whether those careers are in fast food.

Franchisees are encouraged to ask their new hires what their career goals are and then to try to help them achieve those goals.

Chick-fil-AFor example, franchisees at a convention in Florida last year were asked: "Do you know the dreams of your team?"

For Kevin Moss, a Chick-fil-A manager of 20 years, supporting his team has meant funding an employee's marketing degree and paying for another worker to take photography classes.

Moss told Business Insider that he also tries to support his employees in times of need. For example, if an employee's family member is in the hospital, he will send food to the family and hospital staff.

"I've found people are more motivated and respond better when you care about them," Moss said.

The company also offers leadership positions in all of its restaurants that come with higher pay as well as greater responsibilities. Crew members can work their way toward "director" positions in marketing, cleanliness, kitchen operations, and drive-thru operations.

Many franchisees, including Moss, will additionally offer training classes for their employees to earn certificates in managing food and labor costs, managing conflict in restaurants, and other areas of expertise.

"The better we train, the longer people stay with us," Moss said.

SEE ALSO: Chick-fil-A manager reveals one test workers need to pass to get hired

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NOW WATCH: There's only one way to get a burger at Chick-fil-A

The most successful fast-food chains in America

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McDonald's quarter pounder

QSR Magazine just released its annual ranking of the top fast-food chains in the US.

The chains are ranked by US systemwide sales in 2016.

Check out the companies that raked in the most cash last year.

SEE ALSO: The 8 unhealthiest restaurant meals in America

20. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

2016 U.S. systemwide sales: $3.1 billion 

Why it's hot: In February, the owner of Burger King and Tim Hortons, Restaurant Brands International, announced it would buy Popeyes for $1.8 billion. The chicken chain is willing to think outside the box, introducing fried chicken tenders coated in a shortbread cookie breading to the menu in June. 



19. Jack in the Box

2016 U.S. systemwide sales: $3.5 billion

Why it's hot: Jack in the Box dominates the late-night fast-food game. According to Foursquare data, 17% of Jack in the Box's customers visited between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., reported QSR Magazine. That's the second-highest proportion of late-night customers in the industry, with the No. 1 spot occupied by stoner classic White Castle.



18. Little Caesars

2016 U.S. systemwide sales: $3.5 billion 

Why it's hot: Little Caesars is the third-largest pizza chain by sales in the US, after Pizza Hut and Domino's. Unlike its competitors, it serves Detroit-style pizza — a square, deep-dish version of the traditional pizza pie. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dunkin' Donuts may shorten its name — here are 5 other chains that have changed theirs

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Dunkin' Donuts is testing out a new name at a new Pasadena, California store that will open as Dunkin'. The chain wants to focus on beverages and appeal to health-conscious consumers. Other food chains, such as KFC and Starbucks, have changed their names with varying results.

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We tried fried chicken sandwiches from every major fast-food chain — and the winner surprised us

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Fried Chicken Sandwiches 9

We're living in the great golden age of the chicken sandwich.

Fried chicken sandwiches are popping up on more menus across the country, according to data from the menu research firm Datassential. 

Chick-fil-A has transformed from a regional chain to a national chicken powerhousegenerating nearly $8 billion in revenue in 2016. 

Restaurant chains that aren't even known for chicken are looking to poultry to appeal to more consumers, and in turn, boost sales, Nation's Restaurant News reported.  

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McDonald's completely overhauled its chicken sandwich, and Shake Shack unveiled its own, well-reviewed version in 2016. David Chang fanned the flames with the chicken-sandwich-focused Fuku, the most hyped addition to the trendy Momofuku empire.

In light of this crispy, golden renaissance, we decided to gather the chicken sandwiches from major fast-food chains and see which ones are worth it — and which ones are better left untouched.

SEE ALSO: We tried Cracker Barrel to see if it's better than Waffle House — and the winner is clear

ALSO READ: Here's what it's like to eat at the Southern fried-chicken chain whose diehard fans say is better than KFC and Popeyes

For this taste-test showdown, we got sandwiches from 11 major fast-food chains: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Arby's, Dairy Queen, Bojangles', Raising Cane's, Zaxby's, Church's, KFC, and Chick-fil-A.



First up: McDonald's. The recent revamp of its chicken sandwich brought some much-needed change to the chain. The buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich is indeed crispy — in fact, perhaps a little heavy on the breading.



The chicken is slightly on the dry side, but there is a definite hint of tangy buttermilk seasoning. Unfortunately, it often gets masked by a glob of mayonnaise — the usual for this sandwich, which we've mentioned in previous reviews. The "artisan" bun does the job well, holding up to the heaping helping of mayo without getting too soggy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

KFC has a terrifying new game to train employees (YUM)

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KFC VR

KFC has a new way to train employees — and it's straight out of a horror movie. 

On Thursday, the fried-chicken chain announced that it would begin training employees with a virtual reality game.

The game, called "The Hard Way — a KFC Virtual Training Escape Room," is a 25-minute process in which participants need to virtually prepare fried chicken to "escape" and win. 

Watching the trailer, this escape seems closer to clawing your way out of a haunted house than strolling out of a fast-food kitchen.

Spooky music plays in the background. Suddenly, the empty room cuts to a spinning statue of Colonel Sanders' head: 

Disembodied hands punch a hunk of raw chicken: 

Terrifying eyes look down on the player through a Colonel Sanders painting: 

Colonel Sanders

 "IF YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME YOU'VE ALREADY LOST," the screen reads.

The virtual reality simulation is intended to supplement the chain's current employee training program. In 2016, KFC launched its "re-Colonelization" effort, which involved a national employee retraining to boost food quality across the chain. 

Watch the new employee training program's trailer in its terrifying totality here: 

 

SEE ALSO: A handful of companies control almost everything we buy — and beer is the latest victim

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Colonel Sanders' nephew revealed the family's secret recipe — here's how to make KFC's 'original' fried chicken


KFC reveals a new Colonel Sanders as sales soar (YUM)

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KFC Liotta

KFC has a new Colonel Sanders — again. 

On Thursday, KFC announced that the chain's newest colonel would be played by Ray Liotta, an actor best known for his roles in movies such as "Goodfellas" and "Field of Dreams."

Liotta will star in a series of ads promoting two semi-recent additions to KFC's menu, which have roots in trendy Southern cuisine: Georgia Gold honey mustard BBQ chicken and Nashville Hot chicken.

Liotta is just the latest in a long line of actors to play Sanders in KFC ads over the last two years. Other actors include Billy Zane, Darrell Hammond, and Norm Macdonald. 

Despite some initial backlash to the chain bringing back the colonel in 2015, KFC's Sanders-centric marketing push has been a success.

The return of the colonel in advertising, along with an effort to improve food quality and customer service, helped spark a turnaround for KFC. In August, parent company Yum reported that same-store sales increased 3% in the most recent quarter, with CEO Greg Creed calling the brand a "global powerhouse" achieving things "no one would have believed possible three years ago." 

Here's KFC's first commercial starring Liotta: 

 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's newest menu items should terrify Starbucks

Join the conversation about this story »

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A disgusting viral video of KFC workers repackaging old food shows why a recent strategy has been vital to the chain's survival (YUM)

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KFC

A disturbing video of KFC employees slopping day-old green beans, mac and cheese, and fried chicken from 2013 is once again going viral.

And it reveals something important about the chain.

In the video, workers take green beans and mac and cheese out of cartons and plop them into containers to be served to customers the next day. Chicken that had been left out since the afternoon was also packed up to be served the next day, after nearly 24 hours sitting out.

"Look at these old green beans," a worker says. "These green beans have been there three to four days."

While the video paints a grim picture of KFC, a representative for the chain told Business Insider it was an "isolated restaurant and it does not accurately represent our company food-handling procedures, policies, or values."

But the video does highlight some major changes the company has made over the past few years to improve its reputation.

In 2013, when the video was filmed, the chicken chain was in a dark place.

KFC Nashville Gold

"In the birthplace of this brand, KFC hasn't done well in decades," KFC's chief marketing officer Kevin Hochman, who has since been promoted to president, told Business Insider in 2016. From 2002 to 2016, KFC went from 5,472 locations in the US to 4,270.

In April 2016, KFC launched a "Re-Colonelization" program, which included a national employee retraining and a new satisfaction guarantee. Executives said customers had complained that food "didn't taste the same," and many Americans simply didn't trust the chain's quality.

"You can't just pivot from Double Downs to 'We make fried chicken in the back of the house' overnight," Hochman said at the time.

KFC Liotta

"While Re-Colonelization was not related to this incident, it included investing more than 100,000 hours in team-member training and recertification of our cooks, going back to the Colonel's values on how we prepare and serve food to our guests, and most importantly, inviting America back into our restaurants for a new experience," a KFC representative told Business Insider.

The Re-Colonization employee training, coupled with a successful Colonel Sanders-centric ad campaign, has paid off for KFC.

In August, the parent company Yum reported that same-store sales increased 3% in the most recent quarter, with CEO Greg Creed calling the brand a "global powerhouse" achieving things "no one would have believed possible three years ago."

So, the viral KFC video is an important one for the chain. But its importance came not because it dissuaded customers from eating at a disgusting restaurant but because it showed how much the chain needed to improve — and how KFC reacted.

Here's the gross KFC video:

SEE ALSO: KFC says it has been making the same mistake for decades — but now it has a plan to beat Chick-fil-A

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more of the latest fast food news!

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NOW WATCH: Colonel Sanders' nephew revealed the family's secret recipe — here's how to make KFC's 'original' fried chicken

KFC's most famous burger — the Double Down — is coming to the UK

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KFC Double Down 1[2][2]

If you simply can't get enough of fried chicken, the sandwich of your dreams is coming to the UK.

The KFC Double Down, which is popular in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, is coming to the UK for six weeks only.

The "sandwich" forgoes the bread for two chicken fillets, which sandwich together crispy bacon, melted Monterey Jack cheese, and BBQ sauce. It will set you back £4.79, or £5.79 with fries and a drink.

The fast food chain announced the launch with a video on Twitter:

The Double Down is due to arrive into UK KFC stores next Monday October 9.

According to Metro, KFC received "hundreds of tweets and messages from British fans for the sandwich to be launched here."

"There’s been so much excitement for the Double Down since it first launched to the US in 2010," said Jack Hinchliffe, Innovation Director at KFC UK & Ireland.

"It’s sold out in every country that it’s been released in, so we’re anticipating it’ll be a sell-out success here in the UK."

KFC Double Down 2[2]

"Fandom has gone wild over the past few years on social media, and we’ve even had reports of our customers taking things into their own hands by hacking the menu to create the sandwich," he added.

"It seems people agree with us…there’s nothing better than an Original Recipe fillet, so if you can’t beat it – double it!"

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Brits try KFC's Double Down burger for the first time — and the soggy reality didn't match expectations

The reason KFC's Twitter follows just 5 women and 6 men will blow your mind

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kfc

The Twitter account of the global fast-food giant KFC has more than 1.2 million followers, but it follows only five English women and six men in return. They're all certified accounts.

The women include Victoria Beckham, Mel B, and Geri Halliwell.

The men include a musician, a journalist, a Green Bay Packers player, a college football coach, and the Los Angeles City Council president.

The men have one thing in common: They're all named Herb. And the women are all former Spice Girls, which (drumroll…) gives KFC 11 Herbs and Spices.

We have Twitter's Mike Edgette, the social-media manager at TallGrass PR, to thank for solving one of the biggest mysteries since Stephen Hawking tackled Black Hole Theory.

We dip our hat to you, sir.

Join the conversation about this story »

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Someone figured out why the KFC Twitter account follows just 11 people — it's a brilliant marketing ploy

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KFC Twitter

The Twitter account of global fast-food giant KFC has more than 1.2 million followers, but it follows only five English women and six men in return. They’re all certified accounts.

The women include Victoria Beckham, Mel B, and Geri Halliwell.

The six men include a musician, journalist, a Green Bay Packers player, a university football coach, and the LA city council president.

The men have one thing in common: They’re all called Herb.

The woman are all former Spice Girls, which — drumroll — gives KFC ... 11 Herbs and Spices.

We have Twitter’s Mike Edgette, social-media manager at Tall Grass PR, to thank for solving one of the biggest mysteries since Stephen Hawking tackled Black Hole Theory.

We dip our hat to you, sir.

SEE ALSO: Arby's sent sandwiches and a puppy to its biggest troll, and it shows why its transformation has been so successful

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We compared Popeyes and KFC fried chicken — here's the verdict

We tried chicken tenders every major fast-food chain — and the results are surprising

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Chicken Tenders

The humble chicken tender — or chicken fingers, in some circles — is making a comeback. 

Chicken tenders are the most glorious incarnation of handheld fried chicken — heftier than nuggets, simpler than wings, ideologically purer than boneless wings. The adoration for chicken tenders is universal, bridging the spans of age and class alike — the great equalizers, so they say, are death, taxes, and tenders. With McDonald’s resurrecting them on their menu and Wendy’s introducing theirs, the time for tenders has come. 

A handful of major fast-food chains offer tenders, and we decided to put them all to the test to see which con-tender (sorry) reaches the top of the tourney.

SEE ALSO: We visited the 'McDonald's of Russia' that's trying to take over America — here's what it was like

We have six chains duking it out: Chick-fil-A, Dairy Queen, KFC, McDonald's, Popeyes, and Wendy's.

That's a lot of chicken.



6. Dairy Queen

We all knew someone had to come last, and to be honest, most knew it was going to be Dairy Queen.

Are they terribly awful? No. But Dairy Queen's roots lie in, well, dairy, and it's what they do best. We all love a Blizzard — but DQ's food is often lacking, both in quality and direction. Their tenders have some crunch from their thick breading, but it overpowers the chicken.



It’s strangely doughy in taste, and the entire tender is meek — and it’s definitely not inheriting the earth. At best they're slightly better than expectations, but blandly mediocre nonetheless. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

KFC sent a hilarious gift to the guy who figured out why the company only follows 11 people on Twitter

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kfc painting 2

  • Back in October, some genius tweeted that he found out why KFC only follows 11 people on Twitter.
  • KFC follows exactly 6 people named Herb and 5 Spice Girls, aka: "11 herbs and spices."
  • This week, Internet sleuth Mike Edgette received a surprise gift from KFC: a giant portrait of himself on Colonel Sanders' shoulders.
  • Edgette also received 52 gift cards for KFC and a letter from the Colonel himself.

Back in October, we reported on the guy who figured out the genius hidden Easter egg on the KFC Twitter page.

Mike Edgette figured out that KFC's account only follows 11 people: 5 Spice Girls and 6 people named Herb — aka, "11 herbs and spices." The internet understandably freaked out at this discovery.

kfc twitter

But the story gets even better. A couple of weeks after Edgette, who goes by the Twitter handle @edgette22, made his epic discovery, he was sent a special gift from KFC's marketing company: a giant portrait that features Edgette on the shoulders of Colonel Sanders, against the backdrop of a picturesque mountain range at sunset.

 According to FoodEnvy, this (probably expensive) PR stunt was commissioned by Wieden+Kennedy, the same ad agency that brought you the fantastic "Old Spice Guy" commercials.

The portrait also came with a letter signed by Colonel Sanders himself thanking him for his "service on the front lines of the Internet," as well as 52 $5 gift cards (That's $260 worth of fried chicken, in case you were wondering)

edgette letter 2

Edgette has denied any Internet conspiracy theories that he was secretly working for the KFC PR agency, and that this was just one giant marketing campaign. As Thrillist points out, Edgette does work for a PR company called TallGrass PR, but they have nothing to do with KFC (which is represented by Edelman). 

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KFC is selling fried chicken ornaments for your Christmas tree and they look too realistic

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kfc christmas ornaments

  • KFC is getting into the holiday spirit with its new merchandise. 
  • The fast food chain is selling fried chicken Christmas ornaments that look like the real thing.
  • The five-piece set includes drumsticks, fries, wings, a bucket of fried chicken, and Colonel Sanders himself. 
  • The catch is that they're only available in New Zealand. 


KFC Japan turned a few heads with its recent release of Fried Chicken bath bombs, but down under, the fast-food chain's New Zealand branch is going for something somewhat less perplexing: a set of Christmas tree ornaments for the holiday season.

As with most KFC merch, these Christmas tree ornaments are equal parts thematic and absurd. The five-piece set features decorations in the shape of a drumstick, fries, a wing, a bucket of fried chicken and Colonel Sanders, all of which come packaged in a neat black box.

"Forget the mistletoe this year — these naughty and nice decorations are sure to make the magic happen when you grab a drumstick off the tree and hold it overhead," announced KFC Marketing Director Clark Wilson.

These fried-chicken Christmas tree ornaments will release at KFC New Zealand locations sometime in early December. Let us know if you’d cop a set in the comments below. For more fast food content, "Rick and Morty's" co-creator apologizes for the McDonald's Szechuan sauce debacle.

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The Trump campaign's '4 major food groups' while traveling were reportedly McDonald's, KFC, pizza, and Diet Coke

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donald trump plane

  • Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's main diet on the campaign trail included a lot of McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza, and Diet Coke, according to a new tell-all book written by former aides.
  • The aides described detailed efforts to time the delivery of hot fast food with Trump's departure from his campaign rallies.


President Donald Trump's fast-food diet during his 2016 election run is a major theme of an upcoming tell-all book about the presidential campaign, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The book, written by former top campaign aides Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, declares that "the orchestrating and timing of Mr. Trump's meals was as important as any other aspect of his march to the presidency." The authors said exhaustive efforts went into ensuring hot fast food was delivered to Trump's plane just as he departed each of his rallies.

"On Trump Force One there were four major food groups: McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza and Diet Coke," Lewandowski and Bossie write.

One of Trump's dinner orders, for instance, included "two Big Macs, two Fillet-O-Fish, and a chocolate malted," from McDonalds.

The authors added that the cupboards in Trump's plane were stuffed with snacks, including Vienna Fingers, potato chips, pretzels, and multiple packages of Oreos — which Trump refused to eat from if the packages were previously opened.

Trump is well-known for his appreciation of fast food, and reportedly used to have his bodyguard and confidante Keith Schiller run to McDonald's in the mornings during his campaign to grab him Egg McMuffins. He also drew some jibes last year after tweeting a photo of himself eating a large bucket of KFC chicken with a fork.

Lewandowski and Bossie's book also contains an anecdote about Trump abandoning former aide Sam Nunberg at McDonald's because his custom burger order was taking too long.

"Leave him," Trump said, according to the book. "Let's go."

SEE ALSO: Trump aide who claimed he made up viral story about Chris Christie fetching Trump's McDonald's was once reportedly abandoned at a McDonald's by Trump because an order took too long

DON'T MISS: Trump reportedly once berated Hope Hicks for forgetting a machine she used to steam his pants while he wore them

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NOW WATCH: Fox News' Tucker Carlson — a registered Democrat — explains why he always votes for the most corrupt mayoral candidate

Everything we know about Trump's unhealthy diet

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Based on what we know, Donald Trump's diet is very unhealthy. Some of his favorites include fast food, red meat, and candy. In addition to that, he told Dr. Oz that he doesn't get a lot of exercise either. 

In a new book former campaign aides Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie reveal more about Trump's McDonald's dinner order of two Big Macs, two Fillet-O-Fish, and a chocolate malted. Here's everything else we know about his unhealthy diet. Following is a transcript of the video.

Trump's unhealthy diet.

He’s a “junk food aficionado." He eats fast food several times a week.  Even though his physician said he’d been the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.

In fact, after he clinched the GOP nomination, he posted this picture on Instagram.

Trump loves McDonalds. He told CNN his favorite is the Filet-O-Fish. But he mistakenly called it the “Fish Delight.” He also likes Big Macs and Quarter Pounders. He even did a commercial for McDonald’s in 2002.

SOUNDBITE: “A Big and Tasty for just a dollar? It’s amazing! How do you do it?

But he's not alone in his cravings for Mickey D's. Bill Clinton was a big fan in the 1990s. Although he eventually went vegan in 2010. 

But, back to Trump. He also seems to like KFC (with gravy).

And Trump doesn’t just sell steak. He also loves to eat it and he likes it well-done.

Other favorites include: meatloaf, caesar salad, spaghetti. See’s Candies, cherry vanilla ice creamBut, he says“no” to tea coffee and alcohol.

He told Dr. Oz he takes Lipitor for high cholesterol and that he doesn't exercise very often. 

Stay healthy, Mr. Trump!

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published on October 16, 2016.

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We went to a KFC in Kenya and ate food you can't get in America — here's what it was like

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If you happened to be traveling in Nairobi, Kenya during the months of November and December, as I was recently, you would have found it nearly impossible to miss the Nyama Nyama burger.

The ads were everywhere: billboards, posters, signs.

I'm generally not one to eat fast food, but the Nyama Nyama burger — translated as "meat meat" burger — gave me no choice.

Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: I visited a baby elephant orphanage in Kenya — here's what it was like

There are no McDonald's in Kenya, so KFC, Subway, and Burger King are the most popular establishments — KFC in particular.



Though I was uneasy at the prospect of a fast-food lunch, the interior was downright sparkling. Coming from a big city where fast-food places are grimy and sad, this gave the experience a more pleasant ambience.



At the counter, I finally got acquainted with the Nyama Nyama burger: two chicken filets instead of a bun, a hash brown, cheese, and something called colonel dressing, which just appeared to be mayonnaise.



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