Even though McDonald’s is the second-biggest fast-food restaurant and makes profits into the billions each year, there have always been questions about their iconic menu items.
Have you been wondering where McDonald’s gets their meat? Well, keep reading because the answer may surprise you!
Where Does Mcdonald’s Get Their Meat?
McDonald’s gets their ground beef from a variety of ranches and farms across the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The famous Filet-O-Fish comes from wild-caught Alaska Pollock, and it’s 100% fish. McDonald’s chicken does not contain antibiotics used for humans, and they use nugget manufacturers 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 about where that meat comes from and more below!
Where Does McDonald’s Get Their Beef From?
McDonald’s gets their beef from numerous farms and ranches that are located in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Furthermore, their beef is made from trimmings of sirloin, chuck, and round, which are ground up and then formed into burger patties.
Who Supplies McDonald’s Meat?
There are a few different supplies that McDonald’s uses for their meat, including Lopez Foods, which supplies a lot of the beef that the company uses for burgers.
Additionally, Keystone Foods supplies McDonald’s with beef, chicken, and fish.
Annually, Keystone Foods ships McDonald’s 15 million pounds of fish, 300 million pounds of chicken, and 150 million pounds of beef.
On top of that, Keystone Foods was the innovator of freezing burgers to lock in their flavor, which McDonald’s incorporates even to this day to keep their burgers full of flavor during the shipping process.
Along with that, Kenny Longaker supplies McDonald’s with a majority of the fish used in the Filet-O-Fish, and this supplier comes out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Is McDonald’s Meat Fake?
McDonald’s meat is not fake and is made from 100% real meat, which is one of the things McDonald’s is most proud of.
Furthermore, the company is proud that their chicken, pork, and beef are 100% meat and don’t contain fillers, additives, or preservatives like other fast-food restaurants.
Additionally, McDonald’s often uses trimmings of various parts of the animal to produce their products, such as their burgers and McRib.
Where Does McDonald’s Get Their Chicken From?
McDonald’s uses a few different suppliers for their chicken, including chicken nugget suppliers found in Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Additionally, McDonald’s doesn’t use pink slime to make McNuggets or any other product at their stores, contrary to viral videos from several years ago allegedly showing pink slime.
Further, the chicken that is used by McDonald’s doesn’t contain any human antibiotics that are used in medicine.
On top of that, McDonald’s uses only cuts from chicken breast, rib meat, and tenderloins to create the McNugget.
Where Does McDonald’s Get Their McRib Pork From?
McDonald’s uses Lopez Foods to supply the pork it uses for iconic creations such as the McRib, which is only available at certain times and isn’t a year-round menu option.
Interestingly, McDonald’s makes the McRib itself by grinding up pork shoulder and then forming the ground pork into patties shaped like ribs.
Does McDonald’s Get Their Meat from China?
Thankfully, McDonald’s does not get their meat from China and uses only USDA-approved and certified suppliers and farmers for their pork, chicken, and beef.
In addition to that, McDonald’s has a rigorous process it uses to ensure that the facilities supplying their meat are high-quality and meet all USDA standards.
Does McDonald’s Freeze Their Meat?
McDonald’s uses a process called flash freezing for their pork, chicken, and beef.
Furthermore, this flash-freezing process allows the flavor of the meat to be sealed so that when it’s cooked, it’ll be even more juicy and flavorful.
Additionally, McDonald’s partially fries the chicken nuggets before flash freezing, and that helps lock in the flavor.
However, it can take up to three weeks between the time the meat is flash frozen and when it’s 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 just as it does other products offered, which allows the company to save a significant amount of money.
Fortunately, buying in bulk and the savings from it allows McDonald’s to keep their prices relatively low since they just pass those savings on to the customer.
However, when meat prices skyrocket, and suppliers are forced to raise their prices, some of that price increase gets passed onto the consumer.
What Seasonings Are Used in McDonald’s Beef?
McDonald’s only uses a little salt and pepper to season their beef, which is applied before it’s flash-frozen and then shipped out to McDonald’s stores.
Furthermore, McDonald’s does not use any additives or preservatives to lock in the flavor and believes that using only salt and pepper is the real way to lock in freshness.
Does McDonald’s Audit the Beef Processors?
McDonald’s audits the beef processors and suppliers every year and can trace every single step of the meat process.
Moreover, that includes the steps from when the meat is still part of a living cow to the flash-frozen patties that are shipped to their restaurants.
In addition to that, McDonald’s is committed to ensuring that the beef supplied to the company passes all food safety requirements that the company has in place.
Lastly, McDonald’s is committed to sustainable beef and agriculture and is transparent about the steps it has taken and will take to cut down on carbon emissions and more.
If you are looking to learn more, you can also see our related posts on whether or not McDonald’s meat is real, where is McDonald’s coffee from, and when does McDonald’s serves lunch.
Conclusion
McDonald’s gets their meat from a variety of farms and ranches located throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Unlike the rumors about McDonald’s, their meat does not contain pink slime and the company doesn’t use chicken that contains human antibiotics.
Lastly, the meat that McDonald’s uses is 100% real meat and there are no additives, fillers, or preservatives found in the meat, which keeps the meat fresh and offers real meat flavor.
