McDonald's prepares to switch its fries to a greener potato
Filed under: Company News, Technology, McDonald's
The greatest potato consumer in the U.S. is McDonalds (MCD), which buys 1.5 million tons of spuds every year to make french fries for the world. Of course, buying so much of a single commodity means McDonald's choices greatly affect the rest of the country -- and it makes the company an easy target for advocates of sustainable growing.In March, McDonald's acceded to the wishes of shareholders who wanted it to develop best practices for reducing the pesticides used to process its potatoes. The term "best practices" tends to be slippery, but any actions by McDonald's will by definition have a massive impact on the food industry. With that in mind, the company is working with growers and food scientists to develop new strains of potatoes that will satisfy customers while supporting the environment.
For consumers who try to eat locally and avoid genetically modified foods, bioengineering a potato for McDonalds hits three fronts of the culinary war: factory farming, frankenveggies, and the dietary damages of fast food on society. But genetic engineering, and even large-scale agriculture, can have positive effects on society, too.
Right now, McDonald's top tuber is the Russet Burbank, a large white potato developed in the 1870s by horticulturalist Luther Burbank. The Russet Burbank is an expensive variety -- it consumes a great deal of water, takes a long time to mature, and requires large amounts of pesticides -- but it's easy to store and has a consistent texture and taste, which makes it the perfect french-fry potato.
McDonalds has augmented its Burbanks with a few other strains. In 1983, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released the Shepody, a quick-maturing cultivar designed for Canada's brief growing season. Currently the top potato in Canada and the third-ranked potato in the U.S., the Shepody is well-suited for making fries but requires large amounts of pesticides and has a short shelf life. While it functions as a seasonal replacement for McDonald's, it's not suited to challenge the mighty Burbank. McDonald's also uses the Umatilla Russet and Ranger Russet cultivars to fill out its potato lineup. The Umatilla stores well, while the Ranger is late-blooming, which enables the company to get its fry supply through the winter.
Environmental responsibility is a developing concern for McDonalds, but it's only one of many factors in choosing a potato. Sugar level, cell size, and starch content all affect the fries' color, flavor, and quality. Russet Burbank potatoes are susceptible to sugar end, a condition in which excessive sugar collects in the ends of potatoes, resulting in unattractively dark fries due to caramelization during the frying process. While other breeds, like Umatilla Russets, don't have this problem, McDonalds has apparently decided that the sugar-end issue is more than balanced by the positive aspects of Burbank Russets.
McDonalds' next potato will have to run a careful balance, combining the perfect texture, color, and flavor with an environmental profile that will satisfy the chain, its investors, and its harshest critics. As researchers around the world work to develop the best of all possible taters, it's far from certain that fast food and bioengineering can create a potato that will please everyone at the table.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-23-2009 @ 10:04PM
EdgarLongenecker said...
You'll just love this; I got a letter from Mc Donalds' years ago, that claimed, "Ray Kroc, spent two million dollars, developing, our french fries..." Now we know where the term; "That's a Kroc"... Came from.... and, now you know... the rest of the story.... Edgar...
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9-24-2009 @ 8:07PM
John Eppedio said...
You at McD's need to take a glance at a hamburger spot in New York. ALL AMERICAN HAMBURGER(Massapequa,N.Y). For the last 45 or so years they have been making "fresh French Fries" Peeled and cut on premises. The extra work is way worth the quality they offer. Your fries have pesticides, and who knows what perservitives in them. Instead of taking the easy way out and serving frozen fries look into this and see that you could win over all with this way of serving f.f. the correct way!!
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9-26-2009 @ 10:38PM
Rich. Casper said...
If you must have a potato in the menu, why does it have to be the potato at hand? Have you thought about using a sturdy type sweet potato or yam? They are healthier and good. Another item that would benefit everyone would be to use sliced apples.
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9-24-2009 @ 11:28PM
sgentilejr said...
McDonald's is Number One for a simple reason. We like what they sell, how it tastes and how they prepare it. If you want health food, if you want organic foods____Go shop elsewhere instead of trying to change the most loved food chain in the World. Face reality__It is Number One because we love it just as it has been for over 40 years.
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9-25-2009 @ 1:00AM
Jean said...
To all of the "green" advocates. Any vegetable or fruit that has ever been grown whether by a person with a small garden, a farmer with a few acres, or a huge farm, has always used pesticides, and it hasn't killed us yet. If you don't use pesticides, scare crows and anything else that works, the insects eat up the vegetables & fruit, and then we wouldn't have any, or there would be worm holes and bird peckings all over everything. Get real.
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9-25-2009 @ 1:03AM
Jean said...
McDonald's, I don't like much of your food, however, your fries (when they are fresh) are really good,,,,don't change brands
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10-07-2009 @ 6:10PM
Jesse said...
I'm sorry, but even with the oil change - an unfortunate occurrence for McD's fried foods, Burger King's french fries are still better than theirs. Ever since they changed their fries several years ago, Burger King's ff's have been better than McD's. McD's ff were always far and away the best in the world up until that time.
Now, with the oil change, even now that there is nothing to compare it to since all purveyors of fried foods had to change oils, Burger King's ff's are still barely better than McD's.
I wish they could come up with a tastier oil whilst still staying within the new regulations for trans-fats.
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10-07-2009 @ 8:17PM
ALAN ROHR said...
HELLO TO ALL.
IT SEEMS WE ALL CRY ABOUT THIS OR THAT. LETS FACE IT; FRENCH FRIES, EVEN IF THEY TASTE GOOD ARE NOT GOOD FOR ANYONE. ONCE IN A WHILE I STOP AND EAT FISH AND FRIES AT MACs OR BURGER KING. THE TRICK TO ANYTHING IN LIFE IS DON'T DO IT AS A HABIT. I LIKE BOTH B.K. AND MACs. IN MODERATION. HEY FOLKS, TO MUCH WATER AND HUMANS ARE KNOWN TO DROWN.
I EAT AT ONE OR THE OTHER TWICE A MONTH. BOTH ARE
GREAT FRIES.
ALAN
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10-12-2009 @ 1:40PM
John said...
Please give me TWO main reasons why Mc Donalds switching their fries.
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