
McDonald’s has been quietly replacing synthetic ingredients in its dessert menu, including vanilla ice cream.
McDonald’s is among the group of fast food chains that understood that consumers are becoming more aware of what they are eating. This is why the company decided to phase out some of its artificial ingredients as a test. The operation developed in quiet while clients have been actually serving in the past few months a healthier vanilla ice cream without their knowledge.
The Healthier Vanilla Ice Cream Is Now in Almost All U.S. McDonald’s Restaurants
McDonald’s is on a spree of eliminating artificial ingredients. The chain of fast food restaurants started off with corn syrup in buns and artificial preservatives in its Chicken McNuggets. As of this year, the company implemented a new change. This time, the improved menu item was the vanilla ice cream.
It was actually in the fall of 2016 when McDonald’s made a public statement according to which it is going to back away from artificial elements in its edible products as much as possible. As such, the vanilla ice cream recipe did no longer receive artificial colors and preservatives. This alteration has also improved 60% of the desserts displayed in McDonald’s menus. According to the press release, almost all U.S. fast food restaurants performed this change.
Panera and Chipotle Are Already Ahead of the Fight against Synthetic Ingredients
Even the McCafe share syrup of chocolate and strawberry received a healthier alternative than that of a corn syrup that is high in fructose. Moreover, whipped toppings that add texture to shakes have no longer artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. The senior director of menu innovation at McDonald’s, Darci Forrest, explained this series of changes as a way to comply with the needs of their customers.
“We’ve been raising the bar at McDonald’s on serving delicious food that our customers can feel good about eating.”
McDonald’s is not alone in the fight to extinguish the dominance of artificial ingredients on the market. Earlier this year, Panera was the first company that eliminated all synthetic elements in its menu completely. Chipotle is another brand that followed the same path.
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