Former McDonald’s chef reveals if the Quarter Pounder is actually shrinking

A former McDonald’s chef has addressed customer speculation that the popular Quarter Pounder is getting smaller.

Content creator and former McDonald’s corporate chef, Mike Haracz, has taken to TikTok to address the controversy regarding the iconic burger’s size and quality.

“Is the Quarter Pounder still a Quarter Pounder?” he questioned in a recent clip. “So there’s like four main things that they could do to make it more affordable with the loophole of it needs to be a quarter pound before cooking.”

According to Mike, McDonald’s could be modifying the burgers’ lean-to-fat ratio. “If they use fattier beef portions, then they can actually make it fattier,” he explained. “It weighs more, but when you cook it, more of that fat is released, and you might have a smaller-looking patty.”

He continued, “The last thing they can do is adjust the shelf life. With fresh beef, obviously, they are not adding anything else to the beef mixture.

“If they did, it would have to be on their website and declare that it is in their beef patty. There are some loopholes and processing aids, but I don’t believe they do anything like that.”

However, the former McDonald’s chef suggested that the packaging techniques used for the meat might prolong its shelf life, potentially reducing overall waste.

He concluded the video by asking viewers if they noticed any difference with the Quarter Pounder. “Does it taste the same, different? Is it fattier? Does the size look different?” Mike asked.

One user commented, “DQPC is my go to at McD’s. I’ve noticed a change recently. Seems closer to a frozen patty from the grocery store you’d cook at home. It’s a [thumbs down] in my book.”

Another wrote, “It’s getting thinner and smaller. I’m not going to McDonalds anymore because the last time I got one, it was dry and thin. Burger King, here I come.”