Where does McDonald’s get its meat from? (Supplier, Meat Type & More)
Even though McDonald’s is the second-largest fast-food restaurant and rakes in billions of dollars in annual profits, questions have lingered about its signature menu items.
Have you ever wondered where McDonald’s meat comes from? Well, read on because the answer might surprise you!
Where does McDonald’s get its meat from?
McDonald’s sources its ground beef from various ranches and farms in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The famous Filet-O-Fish comes from wild caught Alaskan pollock, which is 100% fish. McDonald’s chicken does not contain antibiotics intended for humans, and they use chicken nugget makers in Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Since McDonald’s sells Beef, Pork, and Chicken, we know you have questions about specific products, and we’ll tell you where the meat comes from and more below!
Where does McDonald’s beef come from?
McDonald’s sources its beef from numerous farms and ranches located in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, their beef is made with sirloin, sirloin, and sirloin trim that are ground up and turned into burger patties.
Who Serves McDonald’s Meat?
McDonald’s uses several different meat suppliers, including Lopez Foods, which supplies much of the beef the company uses to make its burgers.
Additionally, Keystone Foods supplies McDonald’s with beef, chicken and fish.
Keystone Foods ships 15 million pounds of fish, 300 million pounds of chicken and 150 million pounds of beef to McDonald’s every year.
On top of that, Keystone Foods was the innovator in freezing burgers to lock in their flavor, which McDonald’s still uses today to preserve their flavor in transit.
Among other things, Kenny Longaker supplies McDonald’s with most of the fish used in Filet-O-Fish from a supplier in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Is McDonald’s Meat Fake?
McDonald’s meat is not fake, it is 100% real meat, which is one of the things McDonald’s is most proud of.
Plus, the company prides itself on the fact that their chicken, pork, and beef are 100 percent meat and don’t contain fillers, additives, or preservatives like other fast food restaurants.
Additionally, McDonald’s often uses offcuts from different parts of animals to produce their products, such as their hamburgers and McRibs.
Where does McDonald’s chicken come from?
McDonald’s uses several different suppliers for their chicken, including chicken nugget suppliers in Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Additionally, McDonald’s does not use pink goo to make Chicken McNuggets or any other product in-store, contrary to a viral video from a few years ago that allegedly showed pink goo.
Additionally, the chicken used at McDonald’s does not contain any human antibiotics used in medicine.
Best of all, McDonald’s only uses chicken breasts, ribs, and tenderloins to make Chicken McNuggets.
Where does McDonald’s get their McRib Pork?
McDonald’s uses Lopez Foods to supply the pork it uses in signature creations, such as the McRib, which are only available at certain times, rather than a year-round menu option.
Interestingly, McDonald’s makes its own McRib by grounding up pork shoulder and turning the ground pork into rib-shaped patties.
Does McDonald’s meat come from China?
Thankfully, McDonald’s does not source its pork, chicken and beef from China and only uses USDA approved and certified suppliers and farmers.
In addition to this, McDonald’s employs strict processes to ensure that the facilities serving the meat are of high quality and meet all USDA standards.
Does McDonald’s freeze meat?
McDonald’s uses a process called flash freezing for their pork, chicken and beef.
Plus, this quick freezing process seals in the meat’s flavor so that when it’s cooked, it’s juicier and more flavorful.
Plus, McDonald’s partially deep-fries the chicken pieces before flash-freezing, which helps lock in the flavor.
However, it can take up to three weeks for the meat to go from frozen to being served at a McDonald’s restaurant.
How can McDonald’s offer low prices if the meat is 100% real?
McDonald’s buys meat in bulk like any other product, allowing the company to save a lot of money.
Luckily, bulk buying and savings allow McDonald’s to keep prices relatively low because they’re just passing those savings on to customers.
However, when meat prices soar and suppliers are forced to raise prices, some of the price increases are passed on to consumers.
What seasoning does McDonald’s beef use?
McDonald’s uses only a small amount of salt and pepper to season the beef, which is used before flash freezing and shipped to McDonald’s stores.
In addition, McDonald’s does not use any additives or preservatives to lock in the flavor, and believes that only using salt and pepper is the real way to lock in the umami.
Will McDonald’s audit beef processors?
McDonald’s conducts annual audits of beef processors and suppliers that can trace every step of the meat process.
Additionally, this includes the steps from when the meat is still part of the live cow to the frozen patty that is delivered to the restaurant.
In addition to this, McDonald’s is also committed to ensuring that beef supplied to the company meets all food safety requirements established by the company.
Finally, McDonald’s is committed to sustainable beef and farming, and is transparent about the steps it has taken and will take to reduce carbon emissions, among other things.
If you want to learn more, you can also check out our related posts on whether McDonald’s meat is real, where McDonald’s coffee comes from, and when McDonald’s serves lunch.
in conclusion
McDonald’s sources its meat from a variety of farms and ranches throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Unlike rumored McDonald’s, their meat doesn’t contain pink slime, and the company doesn’t use chicken that contains human antibiotics.
Finally, the meat used by McDonald’s is 100% real meat, without any additives, fillers or preservatives in the meat, keeping the meat fresh and providing real meat taste.
