McDonald’s Experimenting With Fresh Beef in Burgers In Limited Test Run On Menu


Fast food giant McDonald’s has revealed a surprising test item in select restaurants during a limited experiment: fresh beef.

The fresh beef experiment will take place in Dallas, Texas, at only 14 restaurants, according to CNN Money. McDonald’s plans to test the fresh beef in select menu items that include the quarter pounder, the quarter pounder with cheese, the double quarter pounder with cheese, and the bacon clubhouse and homestyle burger.

Despite recent press attention about the fresh beef experiment, the test has actually been underway at the Dallas McDonald’s locations since November.

There was no advertising in the campaign.

Customers who purchased their quarter pounder favorites were asked for feedback about their meal, according to Metro. None of the customers were told about the beef swap prior to eating their McDonald’s burger. Reviews on the fresh beef have been mixed. Some are even skeptical about the use of fresh beef in the McDonald’s burgers in comparison to the current beef mix.

Shane Corey tweeted that he doesn’t quite trust the use of fresh beef at a restaurant that serves its food so quickly.

“I don’t want them to have fresh beef, it’s like giving a kid an expensive new toy, you can’t trust them.”

Steve Osh is concerned that customers could start to see contamination in the foods if fresh beef is used as McDonald’s workers attempt to rush orders in an effort to expedite customers in and out of the restaurants.

“[And}… ‘McDonald’s issues recall on contaminated meat for listeria’ in 2 days”

Despite rumors that McDonald’s burgers do not use real meat but instead some strange mystery substance, the patties on the burgers are flash frozen immediately after the beef is ground so the flavor is trapped inside, according to the McDonald’s website.

“Flash freezing is when beef is ground fresh and then quickly frozen to seal in fresh flavor.”

A typical McDonald’s beef patty is cooked at a restaurant within two to three weeks of being flash frozen.

Fresh beef patties are not the only test item that is being experimented with across the country. Low-calorie breakfast items are currently on the menu in Southern California in approximately 800 restaurants. New garlic fries are being tested in San Francisco. Other items are constantly being tested in other locations throughout the country, usually based on regional tastes.

Recent tests have introduced the inclusion of all-day breakfast throughout the chain of McDonald’s restaurants, an idea that has raised profits nearly 35 percent since it was announced.

The introduction of fresh beef in the 14 Dallas McDonald’s locations has been met with mixed reviews. Some individuals have claimed that the taste is simply not the same and that they should not mess with a tried-and-true menu item. Others claim that there is no difference in taste whatsoever. Of course, others are saying that they are “lovin’ it.”

In the past, McDonald’s has been accused of serving subpar menu items in comparison to its rivals, such as Burger King and Wendy’s. Claims that food quality has declined as their focus on children has failed in comparison to more adult tastes that competition offers have left McDonald’s in a situation where they needed to admit to catering to children or make a move to mature the menu.

The introduction of real beef in McDonald’s menu items is a move to a more mature taste and an assortment of foods. However, it is interesting to note that the real beef was used in basic hamburger items and not the iconic Big Mac.

What are your thoughts about McDonald’s introducing fresh beef into the mix? Should they mess with the current menu or introduce new items with the fresh beef?

[Image via Shutterstock]

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