How come Mcdonald's fries taste different then 20 years ago?

Answer 1

Mcdonalds has changed the oil they cook their fries in, several times over the past five years. First, they eliminated the beef tallow which they were adding to oil. A number of vegetarian and Hindu groups sued them over it. They eventually settled agreeing to remove the tallow and pay out approximately $10M to various activist non-profits. Next, they eliminated partially hydrogenated vegatable oils in response to health critics. As the last fast food restaurant using oil containg trans aftty acids, McDonald's was under tremendous pressure to change their cooking oil. In addition, several sates had banned or were in the process of banning foods from being cooked in oil the contains trans fatty acids. This would have complicated delivery networks and supplier relationships. The current oil they are using is Canola. Canola has a very short shelf life and can easily turn rancid in a warm environment. Moreover, despite claims to the contrary, many people complain that Canola transfers a taste to fried foods.