If you live in North Texas, Oklahoma, or Dallas-Fort Worth, the next McDonald's burger you buy might be very different.
The popular fast-food chain has announced that they'll be testing fresh beef patties at over 400 restaurants in the United States. Quarter Pounder burgers are the only burgers affected by the changes, so if you have a Double Pounder, Bacon Clubhouse, or Homestyle Burger, you might end up with a juicier and more flavorful meal.
Previously, McDonald's has used only frozen patties from their suppliers, but now that Wendy's has switched to fresh beef, they want to provide the same to consumers.
Analyst Mark Kalinowksi said: "This collection of McDonald's restaurants...appears to mark the largest expansion to date of McDonald's US test of never-frozen beef. We view this latest expansion of never-frozen beef for quarter-pound beef patties as another signal as to the direction McDonald's US is likely to head - more test markets/restaurants are likely to introduce never-frozen beef in coming months."
Continue to the next page to find out why this could be a bad thing.
Although fresh patties may be perceived as better-tasting, many are concerned that they pose a risk for foodborne illness. Meat must be kept at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent spoilage or food poisoning, according to the USDA.
McDonald's has come forward to explain that they don't yet know if they will introduce fresh patties across the country.
"Like all of our tests, this one too is designed to see what works and what doesn't within our restaurants by considering the operational experience, consumer response, price points and other important information which may inform future decisions," said spokeswoman Lisa McComb.
What do you think? Would you like to see McDonald's nixing frozen patties and opting for fresh ones?