Have you ever had a Big Mac or McChicken at a McDonald’s in Europe and wondered why it tastes better than in the US?
If so, you aren’t alone.
Consumers have long questioned why beef patties, chicken and fries taste better in other countries, and we may have an answer.
Scientists say the differences in flavor are in part due to the different sugars used in the US compared to Europe.
American chains use high-fructose corn syrup, which is more sweet than cane sugar which is predominantly used in the UK and Europe.
Scientists revealed that McDonald’s in Europe does taste better than in the US thanks to fresher ingredients and fewer preservatives
This influences the flavor of many essential items in a McDonald’s meal, such as the Coke, burger sauces and condiments.
High-fructose corn syrup is used in the US because it’s subsidized by the government, making it cheaper than other sugars.
Nutritionist Dr Renee Exelbert told DailyMail.com said different laws in the US mean chains here use more ingredients, which affects the flavor and consistency.
‘It is likely because the United States allows additives and preservatives into our food that other countries do not,’ Dr Exelbert said.
‘These substances make the food taste different.’
This includes ingredients like artificial dyes and food coloring and carrageenan which is used to thicken food but can mask the flavor and requires more seasoning to compensate for the difference.
‘The reason they don’t want to get rid of some of these additives and preservatives in the US is because it actually does make it taste better and companies are banking on that for marketing,’ Dr Exelbert said.
McDonald’s in Europe appeals to its international base by adding more flavorful items to the menu
For menu items like French fries, McDonald’s in Europe and the UK use rapeseed oil when deep frying, giving the food a slightly smoky and nutty flavor.
This is compared to the US where the franchise uses canola oil to deep-fry the French fries, making them taste slightly sweet.
Where the food is sourced also impacts the flavor like McDonald’s burger meat in the US which comes from more than 20 global processing plants that ship finished, frozen patties to locations around the country.
Because the patties change hands so frequently – about four or five times between farm and table – they could have come from one of the 400,000 cattle farms that provide meat to McDonald’s.
In Europe and the UK, the ingredients are described as locally sourced including the burgers which say they are ‘100 percent beef’ sourced from over 20,000 British and Irish farmers – a 95 percent decrease compared to the US.
The menu also says that only ‘whole potatoes’ are used to make the fries which are cooked in rapeseed oil and contain just three ingredients: oil, salt and potatoes in Europe, but adds dextrose – a type of sugar that comes from corn or wheat.
Former corporate McDonald’s chef Mike Haracz said in a 2022 TikTok video that the difference in taste could also come down to the reliability of international supply chains.
‘More often than not, in other countries, it is a little easier to deal with the supply chain,’ Haracz told Daily Meal.
If a supply chain can’t deliver the food quickly and suffers from production, processing and communication delays, the quality of the food can suffer.
Because Europe has better relationships with supply chains, it means countries overseas can provide ingredients to McDonald’s faster – ultimately providing fresher products that makes the food more flavorful.
‘Getting the ingredients for a national launch in the United States is a lot more difficult than, sort of, these local, regional items,’ Haracz said.
McDonald’s also offers a wider range of flavors and seasonings to satisfy the tastes of its international consumer base.
In fact, this allows McDonald’s to include items in Europe that aren’t available in the US including Smokey Chili Tomatoes McFlavor Fries in Belgium that are topped with smoked chili sauce and fresh tomatoes.
McDonald’s also offers a baked pizza pocket called Panzerotti in Italy, McRaclette in Switzerland – a beef burger with Swiss raclette cheese and raclette sauce – and a Beyond Meat burger in France.
