The Truth About McDonald's Fries in America

Twenty-six-year-old TikTok user Jordan Ault claims to know the secrets of major fast-food chains, and he's revealed the unsettling truth behind McDonald's popular fries.

In a brief video, he shared that the taste of McDonald's fries is different from other chains due to a secret ingredient: "McDonald's makes their fries with natural beef flavor, mixed into their vegetable oil," Jordan from San Diego explained in the video, which has amassed over 15 million views.

Jordan also mentioned that "natural beef flavor" is listed as an ingredient on the chain's online menu in the US, but in other parts of the world like Europe, Canada, Australia, and Israel, the fries are cooked in regular oil. "So if you're vegetarian, you can safely enjoy the fries in those places," he added.

Jordan told local media that when he first learned about the beef flavor, he thought it would be valuable information for people with dietary concerns, which prompted him to film the viral video.

According to McDonald's website, the company explains: "When our employees partially fry the cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavor."

As reported by "Eater" in 2015, natural beef flavor doesn't necessarily come from beef. "Long ago, the food industry looked at the cost of beef and said, 'If we want to put that in ramen noodles or sauce, we can't extract flavor and throw away the beef – that's too expensive,'" explained food chemist Gary Reineccius, noting that "natural beef flavor" can be made from amino acids, some common sugars, citric acid, and moisture ingredients. Upon heating, "it gives us a meaty flavor" that could, in fact, be vegetarian.

The video garnered a multitude of reactions, primarily from vegetarians worried about eating their favorite fries again. Jordan has requested a response from the chain regarding the video but has not yet received an answer.