McDonald's announces biggest change to burger recipes 'in decades' for 50th anniversary

McDonald’s has announced the “most significant” changed to its menu in decades.

Ahead of the fast food giant’s 50th anniversary, it is making major changes to the recipes of major items including the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the classic Cheeseburger as well as double and triple versions.

The long list of changes include “meltier” cheese, fresh lettuce with a “clean taste” and a new brioche style bun.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said that the tweaks will ensure even “juicier burgers, served hotter”.

Changes made to McDonald's recipes. — Changes made to McDonald’s recipes. McDonald’s/STVNews

The changes have already arrived in the US and will be rolled out in the UK from mid-March.

Gareth Pearson, chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: “We’re constantly innovating and improving our menu and we found that a collection of complementary small improvements to the iconic burgers make a significant difference to the flavour.

“Another big part of this transition has been around our restaurant teams and how we can support them in delivering the best possible customer experience.

“Not only have we introduced new kitchen technology, but we’ve also retrained all 177,000 crew members on these new procedures to enable them to serve our best burgers yet.”

What are the McDonald’s menu changes?

Beef Patties – A tighter sear on the grill, resulting in “hotter and juicier beef patties for maximum flavour”
Grilled onions – New processes involve adding white onions to the grill on top of the patties as they cook, for added colour and a “better charred flavour”
Lettuce – Fresh lettuce straight from the fridge for “that extra snap, crunch, and clean taste”
Meltier cheese – Hotter beef patties will “guarantee that the cheese oozes over the sides”, creating a smoother texture
New buns – A new buttery, brioche-style recipe for a soft and pillowy textured bun – freshly toasted to order for the “perfect golden brown outer crunch”