Chick-Fil-A’s Twee New Food Journalism Site

Perhaps hoping to distance itself from its horrendous display of homophobia in 2012, the fast-food chicken chain Chick-Fil-A has launched a folksy new food journalism site called Let’s Gather:

Image from Let’s Gather

Yes really. Check out the actual site, which is now hosting the project’s second issue. Push past the animated bees buzzing around scenically, and don’t get so distracted by this homey idyll that you forget to click on the shabby chic nav tool in the upper right.

Once you do, you might venture over to the about page, which says this: “By exploring the winsome themes found in the everyday blend of our meals, hobbies, and relationships, each issue inspires readers to try a new recipe, think a new thought, and join a new conversation. Ultimately, these are stories that remind us of the joy we experience when we make time to do life together.” (Emphasis added.)

But wait, it gets better. Nestled among the features about stair climbing and giving up groceries is a Q&A with Chick-Fil-A on-staff registered dietitian (don’t even get me started) Jodie Worrell:

Image from Let’s Gather

“We do almost everything from scratch every day—we hand-bread our chicken and squeeze lemons to make our lemonade and prepare our salads fresh every day,” says Worrell. “The list goes on. Most people probably think our food just goes from freezer to fryer, which it doesn’t.”

Gosh, all it takes is breading and chicken and lemons? Well, not exactly. Here’s what Chick-Fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich Deluxe—which has 27 grams of fat and a truly mind-boggling 1750 miligrams of sodium—is actually made of:

Spicy chicken (whole breast filet, water, seasoning [salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika], spicy seasoning [maltodextrin, flavor, modified rice starch, tapioca dextrin, salt, cottonseed oil, paprika, contains less than 2% enzyme modified milkfat, soy lecithin], spicy seasoned coater [enriched bleached flour {bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, leavening, spice, nonfat milk, soybean oil, whey, color {paprika, Yellow #6}], milk wash [water, nonfat milk, egg], peanut oil [fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent added]), bun (enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid], water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, contains 2% or less of each of the following: liquid yeast, soybean oil, nonfat milk, salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners [may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide], soy flour, amylase, yeast nutrients [monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate], calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, soy lecithin, cornstarch, butter oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and artificial color]), tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, pepper jack cheese, (pasturized milk, hot peppers [Jalapeno and Habanero], cheese culture, salt, enzymes), pickles (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, alum, potassium sorbate [preservative], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1).

Am I saying Chick-Fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich Deluxe doesn’t taste delicious? No, I am not. But this kind of treacly marketing—usually meant to distract you from something—drives me bonkers. Examples abound: Coca-Cola’s World Cup happiness flag, McDonald’s sites about African American and Asian American culture, and Monsanto’s video profiles of American farm families, to name just a few.