McDonald’s announced Wednesday that its classic burgers will no longer have artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors and no added colors from artificial sources. The ingredient changes affect all 14,000 U.S. restaurants, including those in the Coachella Valley.
The classic burgers include the hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, McDouble, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Big Mac. The pickle contains an artificial preservative, and customers are able to skip it if they prefer.
“From switching to 100% fresh beef* in our quarter-pound burgers, cooked right when ordered, to removing artificial preservatives in our Chicken McNuggets, and committing to cage-free eggs by 2025, we have made significant strides in evolving the quality of our food,” Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s USA President, said in a statement. “We know quality choices are important to our customers, and this latest positive change to our classic burgers demonstrates our committed journey to leading with the customer and building a better McDonald’s.”
To achieve the change, artificial preservatives were removed from McDonald’s real American Cheese, Big Mac Special Sauce, the regular bun, the Quarter Pounder bun (also known as the sesame seed bun), and the Big Mac Bun.
