http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/...y_see_how.html

Nov. 4 2014 2:49 PM
McDonald’s Brings in a Mythbuster to Prove Its McRibs Aren’t That Gross
By Alison Griswold

There are a lot of questions about the McDonald's McRib. Is it real
pork? Does it contain plastic? Will it bounce? McDonald's also isn't too
crazy about some of these questions. So in an effort to dispel some of
the more unflattering queries about its signature barbecue item, the
company has released a new video on YouTube featuring self-declared
McRib skeptic and TV personality Grant Imahara.

The segment comes as McDonald's is struggling to revive interest in its
fast-food offerings. Late last month, the company reported a 30 percent
decline in profit in the third quarter and a 3.3 percent decrease in
sales. It's being buffeted on all sides by widespread consumer
skepticism, unshakable images of pink slime, and a seemingly undying
love for Chipotle. So McDonald's is buckling down. As The New Yorker
reports, it's launched a campaign to promote transparency and invited
questions from the public. It's rolling out a series of videos and hired
Imahara to be their investigative face. And come early next year, the
champion of "I'm lovin' it" is also expected to debut a new slogan—one
that perhaps acknowledges McDonalds' recent woes: "Lovin' Beats Hatin'."

In the five-minute clip on the McRib, Imahara along with teacher and
nonprofit director Wes Bellamy go to Oklahoma City to see how the McRib
is prepared. Kevin Nanke, vice president of McDonald's U.S. pork
supplier Lopez Foods, explains to them (and us) that the only
ingredients in a McRib are pork, water, dextrose, and preservatives to
"lock in the flavor." They watch as the minced meat is pressed into a
McRib-like shape and then flash-frozen to be boxed and shipped; the
segment ends with Bellamy and Imahara each eating their first McRib
sandwich. For the record, we don't ever see Imahara take more than one
bite of his McRib.

One theory about the McRib is that McDonald's only promotes the sandwich
when pork prices are low. While it's hard to confirm whether some form
of McArbitrage is going on, it is noteworthy that pork futures have
fallen pretty steadily since July and tend to hit lows during the fall.
From that perspective, McDonald's Monday release of the McRib video
makes a lot of sense beyond just its transparency campaign.