Questions answered
There are 76 questions about “Beef” in the “What's in the food?” topic.
Click on a question to read our answer.
- 46. Why do you lie to your customers? Many people have asked if there is brain in your ham burgers, and you say no, but I am a photographer, and I was asked to take some pictures for McDonalds. What I am trying to say is that I hve seen the burgers be made, and you only use the parts of the beef that we usually throw away, like brain for example. Please answer
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This is simply not true. Perhaps you'd like to read the Quality Scout report on the recent trip to the McDonald's burger producer or, indeed, complete an application form in the 'Become a Scout' section so that you can see for yourself what goes on behind the scenes.
(June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 47. i am a vegetarian and heard that all your burgers were made from the mince between cows hooves (toes). Does this in fact make the burgers suitable for me to eat?
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The burgers are made from 100% beef taken from the forequarter and flank. So no, the company suspects that they will not be suitable for you as a vegetarian. (June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 48. Why does McDonalds use "100% Beef" with a pinch of salt and pepper" in its paddies and then fry them in a griddle? A small ammount of oats, egg and other seasoning as well as a proper grill would result in a much tastier burger. Is it simply a matter of expense or does McDonalds actually believe this style of burger tastes better?
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Millions of people like McDonald's burgers just the way they are and the company has no plans to change the recipe from the simple combination of beef mince with a pinch of salt and pepper. (June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 49. It's really sweet that your burgers are 100% beef, but I've tried to make burgers at my house without some breadcrumbs or some kind of binder, and they just fall apart... so basically how do you do it!? Is mcdonalds d*mn sweet or what?!
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You might like to read the recently posted Quality Scout report on the trip to the McDonald's suppliers who take the meat, mince it, form the patties, freeze them and then send them out of the door to the restaurants. The patties are then cooked between hot plates and seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. It's that sweet
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 50. I heard you use mudkips in your beef burgers. Is this true and if you do do you like it?
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No, this is another tall story. McDonald's only uses whole cuts of forequarter and flank of 100 percent beef. McDonald's UK source nearly all the meat from farmers in the UK and Ireland. McDonald's has a policy to source the beef locally wherever possible and last year over 16,000 British and Irish farmers supplied us with beef. In times of particularly high demand the company also source from farms in the European Union. Any overseas suppliers of course meet or exceed the stringent quality standards McDonald's sets as done for those in the UK. (June 2007)
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 51. Are your beefburgers organic?
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No. McDonald's currently does not use organic beef.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 52. Please define what you mean by 'beef'. You claim your burgers are made from 100% beef, nothing else at all, made only from the forequarter and flank - the same as a supermarket pack of mince you say. However, if I make a burger from a supermarket pack of mince it is not only tastier, but bigger than a McDonalds burger. It is also impossible to make a burger from a pack of mince without some binding agent (e.g. egg, pork mincemeat) to stop it from falling apart. How do you account for this?
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It is absolutely true. McDonald’s burgers are made from 100 percent beef - no binders, fillers or additives. Once the patties are made, they are immediately frozen and despatched to the restaurants. The beef patties are cooked, without added fat or oil, between hot plates that cook the patties from both sides - a similar cooking process to the grilling machines that are sold in a variety of kitchenware stores. Finally, salt and pepper is added for seasoning.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 53. Are your Burgers 100% BRITISH Beef and are they prepared fresh to order? Also can I ask for extra Gherkin in my Burger?
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Yes McDonald’s sources all its beef from farmers in the UK and Ireland. The beef patties are cooked from frozen, without added fat or oil, between hot plates that cook the patties from both sides - a similar cooking process to the grilling machines that are sold in a variety of kitchenware stores. Once cooked, the beef sandwiches can be held for a maximum of 10 minutes before they are thrown away. If you would like extra gherkins in your burger, just tell the crew member taking your order and this will be freshly prepared for you.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 54. Beef is graded using a grading system comprising of Prime, Select, Choice and Standard. What grade of beef does McDonalds use in it's burgers. I have seen this question asked before, but not answered directly.
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Prime, Select, Choice and Standard beef grading is not used in the UK or Europe. Cattle in Europe are graded according to their conformation or body structure, fat score, gender and date of birth. As you have probably read on this website, McDonald’s uses 100 percent beef, which means that nothing other than whole cuts of the forequarter and flank (the front shoulders and sides) are used in McDonald’s burgers. Some of the UK’s leading supermarkets will use the rear of the same animal to supply their steaks.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 55. Is it true that the Mcdonalds advert which claimed that thier burgers are made with 100% beef, actually refers to the name of the company that makes them?
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The name of the company that makes McDonald’s burgers is Esca. All McDonald's burgers are made of beef. Nothing else. Just 100 percent beef, made from whole cuts of forequarter and flank (the same as a good mince you'd buy in the supermarket). All McDonald's adds is a pinch of salt and pepper after cooking.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 56. Does McDo nalds still use preservitives to ensure maxium shelflife of their meats before it is cooked to be served?
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No. McDonald’s burgers are made from 100 percent beef (no additives, no preservatives) taken from the forequarter and flank of beef cattle. Once minced, the meat is frozen into individual burger patties before being supplied to the restaurants. The burgers are then cooked from frozen on double-sided hotplates using nothing but heat. no fat or oil is added, the only additional ingredient is a touch of salt and pepper after cooking.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 57. Do McDonalds have any plans to make a burger from Kobe Beef (which comes from Wagyu cattle)? That would be great!
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No, McDonald's policy is to source ingredients locally wherever possible.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 58. i no that you use cow udders in your product, as it is classed as meat. but i would like to no what you use it for. i do still eat your food.
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This is not true. McDonald’s does not use cow udders in its burgers or any other similar material. In the beef patties, McDonald’s only uses whole cuts of forequarter and flank (the front shoulders and side of the animal).
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 59. Please explain what parts of the cow exactly, contstitiue the forequarters and flanks. Forexample are tyou saying categorically ythat no offal, parts of the head or flesh around the head or genitalia are used. I amm interested in being a quality scout as i understand to a reasonable degree the media attention that fast food attracts these days and i am a father of twoi young daughters who i never allow to eat at Mcdonalds, because i simply do not know what tey are getting.
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The forequarter and flank are indeed the only parts of the cow that McDonald’s uses. They are the areas at the front shoulders and sides of the animal, and they provide the cuts known as neck, fore rib, breast, chuck tenderloin, shoulder, shank, prime rib and flank. There is definitely no offal used, nor are less palatable parts of the animal involved in the making of any McDonald’s burgers. The Quality Scouts applications have now closed, but please keep in touch because McDonald’s may well be recruiting again in the new year. In the meantime, this web site will follow the Scouts’ progress as they visit farms, suppliers and restaurants. You’ll get the opportunity to suggest issues you’d like them to investigate.
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What are these? Delicious Digg Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon - 60. As regards your assertation that you use "flank and forequarter of beef" - what does this actually mean? I have read Eric Schlosser's book "Fast Food Nation" and seen "Supersize Me" and so am under the impression that there could be small particles of up to 1000 different cattle in a single burger. Can McDonalds guarantee that if I ordered a burger it would be from a single animal?
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It’s true that a McDonald’s burger will probably contain meat from more than one animal – but only in the same way that a pint of milk you might buy in the supermarket comes from more than one cow. Meat from the ‘forequarter and flank’ of cattle means this beef comes from the area just above the front shoulder, down to the upper front leg and back to the middle of the waist. These areas give us the cuts known as neck, forerib, breast, chuck tenderloin, shoulder, shank, prime rib and flank. These whole cuts of meat are then minced using the same method a butcher would use, simply on a far larger scale.
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