Key Facts & Ingredients
- Inception: Introduced in 1949 (and made a permanent menu staple in 1955). [1, 2]
- Ingredients (US): Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, hydrogenated soybean oil), natural beef flavor (contains wheat and milk derivatives), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to retain color), and salt. [1]
- Dietary Info: U.S. McDonald's fries contain wheat and milk derivatives (due to the natural beef flavor). While cooked in dedicated vegetable oil fryers, they are vegetarian/vegan in some international markets but not traditionally in the U.S.
How They Are Made
- Sourcing & Cutting: Potatoes are peeled, steam-treated, and cut into uniform shoestring strips using high-pressure water jets. [1]
- Blanching & Pre-Frying: They are blanched in hot water, treated with dextrose (for golden color) and sodium acid pyrophosphate, and then partially pre-fried in vegetable oil at the factory. [1]
- Freezing & Shipping: The fries are quick-frozen and shipped to restaurants worldwide. [1]
- Final Preparation: At the restaurant, they are final-fried in vegetable oil (containing a preservative like TBHQ and anti-foaming agent dimethyl polysiloxane) and salted before serving.
