Does McDonald’s Use Peanut Oil For Frying?

McDonald’s does a lot of frying since most food items other than beef burgers are deep-fried. However, many speculations of peanut oil have been used for frying. So, does McDonald’s use peanut oil for frying? Let’s find out in detail! 

No, McDonald’s does not use peanut oil for frying their food, despite the speculations. Instead, McDonald’s uses canola-blend oil for all the frying. 

Regardless of the type of oil that McDonald’s uses, its menu is still popular amongst customers. However, for people with nut allergies, it would surely be a cause of concern if they found out that McDonald’s uses peanut oil for frying their food. 

Luckily, that is not at all the case! In this blog post, you will find detailed information about whether or not McDonald’s has ever used peanut oil to fry their food. Moreover, there is also some more information that will surely help all the folks with peanut allergies! So, let’s begin! 

No, McDonald’s Does Not Use Peanut Oil

Luckily, McDonald’s does not use peanut oil to fry their food. 

Earlier, when McDonald’s had just started their business, they used to fry their food in beef fat. This was regardless of whether the food items were supposed to be vegetarian and vegan, like their French fries and hash browns. 

However, after the company got a few consistent complaints from customers who did not prefer beef products, they changed their oil preference in the 1990s.

Ever since there have been changes in the type of oil in the McDonald’s kitchen, however, artificial beef flavoring has been a common aspect throughout the years. 

The fact that such a large multinational company does not use peanut oil to fry any of its products may be a relief to so many people. It is especially true for people with peanut allergies, as they can also be fatal in some extreme cases. 

What Oil Does McDonald’s Use For Frying? 

As per the official website of McDonald’s, they have completely switched to canola-blend oil for frying all their food. 

After they took beef fat out of their kitchen for deep frying purposes, McDonald’s tried switching to different oil blends. 

In 2002, the company switched to a soy-corn oil blend, which was later changed to trans-fat-free oil in 2007. Now the company traded to canola-blend crude, and the artificial beef flavor is added to retain the original taste of all their menu items. 

Has McDonald’s Ever Used Peanut Oil In The Past? 

Yes, McDonald’s has used peanut oil in the past. In 1990, back when McDonald’s switched their oil from beef fat, they switched to vegetable and then peanut oil too. However, peanut oil was off their menu since it raised concerns for people with peanut allergies. 

While McDonald’s was switching from beef tallow to vegetable oil, many people were concerned about the same. The prominent problem people had was the oil contamination with soybeans, which had high amounts of trans-fats. 

So, the company began experimenting with the sort of oil they would use, of which peanut oil had a brief stint. However, it was taken off very soon, again due to concerns about allergies. 

Is McDonald’s Safe For Peanut Allergies? 

No, McDonald’s is not safe for peanut allergies. Although McDonald’s does not use peanut oil for frying, the company has also mentioned that the food may have come in contact with peanuts or other tree nuts. So, people with peanut allergies need to be extra cautious because of the chances of cross-contamination. 

As per research, significantly refined peanut oil does not do anything to aggravate peanut allergies. However, some of the products, especially desserts, have a high chance of coming in contact with the nuts themselves. So, people with peanut allergies should remember that and maybe consult their doctor before eating at McDonald’s. 

Other Restaurant Chains That Use Peanut Oil

Currently, three major restaurant chains use peanut oil to deep-fry their food. These are Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, and also Jimmy Johns. 

All three restaurant chains mentioned above use peanut oil mainly for frying their French fries. They give because peanut oil ends up giving their fries a deliciously crispy texture. 

Conclusion

McDonald’s does not use peanut oil to fry their food. Instead, the chain of restaurants uses a blend of canola oil to fry all their food items. They did have a brief stint where they used peanut oil. However, that was switched to a soy-corn oil blend pretty soon.

But, although McDonald’s does not use peanut oil, there are still chances of cross-contamination with peanuts. So, people with peanut allergies should keep that in mind. If you found this article informative, I am sure you will also like other such articles covered by us: who makes McDonald’s ketchup, if McDonald’s uses real eggs, what McDonald’s ice cream is made of and where McDonald’s gets their meat from? 

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