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McDonald’s French Fries

U.S. President Ronald Reagan eats at a McDonald’s restaurant after addressing students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Oct. 16, 1984.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan eats at a McDonald’s restaurant after addressing students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Oct. 16, 1984. Photo: Lana Harris (AP)

McDonald’s French Fries

When McDonald’s french fries were made in the 1980s, they really did taste better. The secret ingredient on these deep-fried spuds? Beef. Seriously.

McDonald’s used to fry their potatoes in beef tallow until they switched to vegetable oil in the summer of 1990 but still added beef flavoring throughout the 1990s. But the beef flavoring was pulled in the early 2000s after McDonald’s was sued by vegetarian and Hindu groups who argued they were misled about the product.

Today, McDonald’s fries are vegetarian-friendly. And much less tasty than they were in the 1980s.

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