McDonald's reveals the truth about Chicken McNugget shapes

McDonald's has revealed that their Chicken McNuggets come in four different shapes - shattering the illusions that the shapes are simply random.

A video released by McDonald's Canada showed the nuggets being processed in a factory - with each shaped deliberately into one of four natural-looking forms.

And a spokesman for the company has revealed the reasoning behind the varying shapes, explaining that they were designed deliberately and that each nugget actually has a name.

The crunchy treats are known as either the "bell", the "boot", the "bone" and the "ball" although the nuggets seem to have slightly different names in different countries. Photo / McDonald's

The crunchy treats are known as either the "bell", the "boot", the "bone" and the "ball" although the nuggets seem to have slightly different names in different countries.

On a Q&A forum on McDonald's website one patron of the restaurant, called Stew from British Columbia, Canada, asked the company: "Why do your Chicken McNuggets only come in four shapes?"

The spokesman replied: "The four shapes we make Chicken McNuggets in was the perfect equilibrium of "dipability" and fun.

"Three would've been too few. Five would've been, like, wacky."

On a different occasion a spokesman again stressed that the nuggets are designed for dipping and to be fun for kids.

"Our Chicken McNuggets are shaped uniquely for kids and kids at heart. Plus, we think it makes dipping all the more fun," the representative said.

The nuggets are made from chicken meat in a factory, shaped into the four different forms and battered.

They are then frozen and distributed to individual restaurants where they are deep-fried and served to customers.