On 24 January 2022, McDonald's announced that they have stopped offering Large fries due to a supply shortage. We are facing a fry-tening supply crunch on French Fries. But fret not. While you can't Go Large for the time being, you can still enjoy your favourite meals and fries in Medium size.
There is an ongoing shortage on our potato supply due to the global freight crisis. We continue to serve Fries but to ensure that customers are able to enjoy them for a longer period of time, we are making the regular size available at the moment.
Supply chain disruptions during the pandemic resulted in a shortage of many commodities. The latest one to join the ranks is the beloved potato. Potato shortage has severely impacted fast-food restaurants in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya and the United States and cut deep into their stocks to make fries and chips.
In 1990, the company announced that they would replace the beef tallow with 100 percent vegetable oil. After the announcement, McDonald's stock fell 8.3 percent. The new fry didn't stack up. As it turns out, the beef tallow had added more than just cholesterol to the signature french fry.
McDonald's New Fries Are Veggies, But Not Healthy
McDonald's no longer fries its french fries in lard, but its recipe does contain a beef flavor that includes both wheat and milk (making them not vegan, vegetarian, or even gluten-free). Here's a look at what the chain's fries are made of in the U.S.
Beef tallow was initially used because the supplier for the chain couldn't afford vegetable oil. As health concerns over saturated fat grew in the 1990s, McDonald's finally made the switch to vegetable oil. Unfortunately, customers noticed that the fries didn't taste how they used to.
We add a small amount of salt to McDonald's fries after we've cooked them in our kitchen. Find all the information about sodium per serving for our fries on the fries nutrition page.
Are McDonald's chips Halal? McDonald's fries are not certified as Halal.
In the 1990s, as health concerns over saturated fat reached an all-time high, McDonald's faced a backlash against the use of beef tallow, and worried about losing customers, the chain switched to vegetable oil. Unfortunately, many customers said the new texture and taste weren't up to the mark.
Vegetable Oil
The blend includes canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, and natural beef flavor. Now the different oils are probably pretty self-explanatory. But what is "natural beef flavor"? That's what gives McDonald's french fries their signature taste.
Short answer is No. There's natural beef flavoring used in making them. A small amount is added to the oil that they're fried in, in the factory that produces them. It's a small amount however, so I can see Muslims deciding to eat them anyway.
As it happens, the distinctive golden color of your french fries is the result of a scientific process called the Maillard reaction. Interestingly, this reaction is not exclusive to potatoes.
Popular fast-food items, like hamburgers and French fries, are also often lumped into the category of junk foods because they often contain lots of calories but not many nutrients. Other foods are considered junk food by some but not by others, depending upon how they're made.
McDonald's wanted to keep its signature beefy flavor but without the beef fat itself, so it came up with a solution. Now the fast-food chain adds “natural beef flavor” to its vegetable oil to give its fries their irresistibly meaty taste.
To make their fried menu items healthier, McDonald's began cooking potato sides with vegetable oil in 1990. But the fast-food joint wasn't willing to sacrifice that signature flavor: McDonald's added natural beef flavoring to the oil to preserve the taste customers had come to love.
So, what's the secret? Well, it turns out that it's "natural beef flavoring". According to Jordan, McDonalds are far from being veggie friendly because the chain adds the animal-based flavoring during the frying process.
The US McDonald's fries are not vegan, but the process still involves the highest FDA safety regulations. Besides the potatoes and salt for flavoring, the cooking involves vegetable oils like corn, soybean, and canola. They also have chemical preservatives and natural beef additives from milk and wheat.
Burger King
In the fast-food battle between McDonald's and Burger King, there is no doubt who reigns supreme when it comes to french fries. The Burger King fries were superior on all levels. They were a thicker cut, lightly browned and perfectly crisp.
Bingo. So McDonald's does indeed use a double fry method, but it's far from the traditional one.
All food consumed at McDonald's comply with Halal requirements.
Although the Tartare Sauce used in our Filet-o-Fish® is suitable for vegetarians, it is not Halal.
Global fast food chain faces backlash on Twitter after revealing that all its restaurants in India are halal certified. New Delhi, India – McDonald's has faced boycott calls in India from right-wing Hindus after the global fast-food chain said its outlets served halal meat.
Step 2: Dip in “Ingredient Bath”
The dextrose, a natural form of sugar, is to help achieve a uniform golden color and the sodium acid pyrophosphate prevents the potatoes from turning grayish after they are cooked, according to McDonald's. Fear said these ingredients are of no health concern.
This summer, McDonald's announced that the meaty, cheesy fries are coming back on June 5, and they'll be available nationwide. This basket of artery clogging joy starts off with McDonald's classic fries topped with a cheddar cheese sauce and crumbled applewood smoked bacon pieces.
Frozen fries are still fried! Even worse, many brands use trans fats and palm oil which aren't ideal for heart health. While fries do need a sprinkle of salt, many bagged brands have at least 15% of the daily recommendation of sodium per serving.