FOOD NEWS
The Reason McDonald's Probably Won't Mix Drinks For You
By Lauren Farkas
Mixing soft drinks is a fun way to create a new flavor experience. Although McDonald's seems like a perfect place to experiment with drink mixing, some workers may not oblige.
Former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz addressed a TikTok comment claiming that three different locations refused to mix Coke and Frozen Fanta blue raspberry into one drink.
Haracz theorized that even though there's no explicit policy keeping McDonald’s employees from mixing drinks, each location has to comply with specific nutritional guidelines.
In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration began requiring all chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to label their menus with the calorie contents of each item.
With over 13,500 locations in the United States, this law certainly applies to McDonald's. To date, the chain includes a calorie count on every menu item, including beverages.
A medium Frozen Fanta Blue Raspberry contains 80 calories, and a medium Coke contains 210 calories. Mixing them would prevent the customer from knowing the exact calorie contents.
Haracz says that some locations have transitioned to automated drink dispenser machines behind the counters, which also hinders drink mixing — McDonald's plans to switch by 2032.