FOOD NEWS
Is McDonald's Misleading Us With The Size Of Its Quarter Pounder Burgers?
By Matthew Wilson
In addition to inflation, consumers are also becoming aware of shrinkflation — a term coined for when a company downsizes its portions while charging the same price.
Some McDonald's fans swear their burgers have shrunk, and many wonder how McDonald's would shrink its quarter-pounder, considering it gets its name from the weight of the patty.
Former McDonald's Chef Mike Haracz noted that the quarter pounder may be the same weight with more fat, saying, "When that fat renders out, the finished product is smaller."
Haracz suspects raw onions on patties on the grill soak up some fat. He also speculates McDonald's may be narrowing in on the weight fluctuation range during manufacturing.
In a court case in October 2023, one customer accused McDonald's and Wendy's burgers of being smaller than advertised but couldn't prove to the judge that this claim was valid.
Ground beef shrinks when cooked as moisture and fat escape the meat. However, it's hard to say for certain that McDonald's patties are any smaller than they have been.