McDonald's in the USA adds beef flavoring to their fries?

Question

"Now the fast-food chain adds “natural beef flavor” to its vegetable oil to give its fries their irresistibly meaty taste."

https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-fries-ingredients/

Answer 1

According to the official McDonalds website, their french fries do include natural beef flavoring. McDonalds' claims this flavoring ensures the fries taste great and are recognizable to its loyal consumers.  

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/small-french-fries.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd

While the natural beef flavoring may make their french fries tasty, there are other factors that can contribute to this as well. An article published by the Cleveland Clinic provides insight into what makes food from places like McDonalds taste great. They explain that intensely addictive processed foods can spike an individual's blood sugar and hijack one's brain chemistry and drive him or her to seek out more food. "Certain foods light up pleasure centers in your brain and trigger the release of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, much like other addictive substances do."

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-are-certain-foods-so-addictive/

It appears that McDonalds' notable competition (Burger King, Wendy's, Chick-Fil-A) does not have French fries that contain natural beef flavoring. This allows McDonalds to differentiate themselves in the fast food industry. 

Comments

Thanks for a clear explanation! I like how you've added a bit more information about the possible reason McDonald's uses beef flavor -- to differentiate their fries from their fast food competitors. Nice work.

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Great fact check and explanation! I appreciate how you went further than simply confirming the claim that McDonalds adds beef flavoring, and explained why this may be. You added context to your response, which is extremely helpful for the reader/poster. Thanks!

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I enjoyed reading about the information that you provided in the fact check. You went into good depth on how the beef flavoring is a factor in the fries and how it differentiates Mcdonalds from their competitors. I would like to add that the ingredients list on Mcdonald's website does include beef flavoring for their French fries. I think another source to back up the claim of other competitors not using beef flavoring would also be efficient in supporting that claim. An ingredients list for some competitors would help with that. Great fact check!

Answer 2

McDonald’s in the U.S. does list “natural beef flavor” as an ingredient in their french fries. In terms of the source listed, “their irresistibly meaty taste” is opinionated and can not be proven true or false. However, the fact that McDonald’s lists the flavoring as an active ingredient is true. 

According to the McDonald’s website, the ingredients to their french fries goes as follows, “potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt.” The website also goes on to list that the “natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.” 

All in all, McDonald’s in the U.S. does add “natural beef flavoring” to their french fries.

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/small-french-fries.html#accordion-c921f9207b-item-283bee7dbd

Comments

Good job on your fact check! I think you did a great job in finding your information from the primary source and quoting it.

Answer 3

This is true According to Solefoodkitchen Before distributing the fries to individual locations, McDonald's French fry suppliers in the US flavor the oil in the par-frying stage at the potato processing plant with a very little quantity of beef flavor. The potatoes are prepared in vegetable oil once they arrive at the restaurant.

Does McDonald's use beef flavoring their French fries? - I'm cooking (solefoodkitchen.com)

Answer 4

Here's an official statement that talks about the beef flavoring on their fries by Mcdonalds.

 https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/snacks-and-sides.html#:~:text=When%20our%20suppliers%20partially%20fry,and%20served%20hot%20to%20you

 but the consensus is that wheat and milk derivatives as well as other chemicals are used for beef flavoring

https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-fries-ingredients/

Comments

Going forward, it would be great for you to paraphrase the information you've found rather than redirect a reader to a link. Fact-checking explanations allow you to showcase your sources and demonstrate why a claim is true, false, etc.  Also, it's best to dig a bit further and find sources that are not listed within the claim (re: rd.com). Thanks!

Answer 5

This claim is true. The fries in the US are not vegan or vegetation due to the addition of beef flavoring to fries. 

According to the McDonald's website, "When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring. This ensures the great-tasting and recognizable flavor we all love from our World Famous Fries."

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/snacks-and-sides.html

According to Marissa Laliberte, "In the United States, McDonald’s french fries are not vegan because the natural beef flavor is made with milk derivatives. However, if you’re across the pond in the United Kingdom, the fries (or “chips” as they’re called in the UK) are vegan since they’re not made with that beef flavor or coated in any animal substances."

https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-fries-ingredients/

Comments

I was actually wondering whether the beef flavor would make the fries non-vegan or vegetarian friendly. Thanks for clarifying that!

Also, going forward, it's best not to use the same sources that are listed within the claim (re: rd.com). Dig a bit further and find another legitimate source if possible in the future.

Answer 6

According to the Mcdonald's official website, "When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring." Thus, this claim is true.

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/snacks-and-sides.html#:~:text=Yes.,and%20served%20hot%20to%20you.

Comments

Good fact check, however moving forward it would be incredibly helpful for a reader if you included a more thorough explanation or further details. For example, did McDonald's say why  they add beef flavoring, or what the flavoring is derived from? Overall, you fact check included is true, but more information would be helpful. Thank you!

Answer 7

Yes, McDonald's America adds beef flavoring to their fries. According to their website, the fries are made with "Natural Beef Flavor", which is made with hydrolyzed milk. However, this is not always the case in different countries. According to their UK website, McDonald's locations located in England are completely vegan and do not use the same beef flavoring that we are accustomed to in the US. It seems that no matter what, Great Britain finds a way to make their food taste bad.

Answer 8

McDonalds does list beef flavoring on their fries. The ingredients list states, "potatoes, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor (which contains wheat and milk derivatives), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and salt." So yes, the french fries do have beef flavoring added to them. 

https://www.rd.com/article/mcdonalds-fries-ingredients/

Comments

Going forward, it's best to use a source that isn't included within the claim (re: rd.com).

Answer 9

This statement is true. In the McDonald's frequently asked questions section of their website it states, "Yes. When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring". 

More FAQ's and an ingredient list here: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/snacks-and-sides.html 

Answer 10

This statement is true. From McDonalds (https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/snacks-and-sides.html#:~:text=Yes.,and%20served%20hot%20to%20you.)

On McDonalds's company website, they have an FAQ section where they answer questions about their snacks and sides.  They state that when making the french fries, they do add beef flavoring to the oil in which the fries are fried in.  

MCDONALDS - Do you add any type of flavor when preparing your fries?

Yes. When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring. This ensures the great-tasting and recognizable flavor we all love from our World Famous Fries®. The fries are cooked in our kitchens, seasoned with salt, and served hot to you.

Comments

Thanks for adding the excerpt from McDonalds in your explanation -- so helpful!