Why McDonald's fries aren't actually vegetarian in US when they are in UK

You might think that the UK and US are pretty similar places. After all, both countries share the same language, some cultural heritage, and we share an awful lot of popular media.

However, there are some pretty major differences. The US does everything a lot bigger than the UK, from cars to portions, and the sheer amount of space in the US can be difficult for a Brit to wrap their head around.

But nowhere are the subtle differences clearer than at McDonald’s. Not only are the menus different, but the ways in which some of the classics are made can differ dramatically.

The UK and US use different potatoes for their McDonald's fries (NurPhoto / Contributor/Getty Images)

While the Snack Wrap has just made a comeback in the US, it never left UK menus. Not only that, but the new US Snack Wrap uses McCrispy Strips instead of the original’s Chicken Selects. In the UK, we’ve still got Selects in there.

The McChicken is different too. In the US they’re smaller and available on the budget menu, but in the UK we call those a Mayo Chicken while our McChicken is larger and available with meal options.

Where fries are concerned, things differ there too.

You might expect that a menu item that’s almost exclusively made of potatoes would comfortably be vegetarian-friendly, but as it turns out that all depends on where you’re buying them.

In the UK, vegetarians can rest easy. Fries on the British Isles are cooked in non-hydrogenated rapeseed and sunflower oil and there don’t have any animal-derived seasoning or coatings. Not only are they vegetarian-friendly, but they’re vegan-friendly too.

The UK’s fries are made with Russet Burbank, Shepody, and Pentland Dell potatoes sourced from McCain, ensuring consistent flavour and shape.

However, things look quite different in the States.

They aren’t vegan in the US, and it’s all to do with a ‘natural beef flavouring’ that contains milk. You might think switching this out to cater to a growing vegetarian market would be a simple change for McDonald’s, but it’s a move the US arm has yet to take.

“When our suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring,” says the McDonald’s website.

Even vegetarian customers can't be confident that McDonald's US fries are suitable for them (Lauren DeCicca / Stringer/Getty Images)

“This ensures the great-tasting and recognizable flavor we all love from our World Famous Fries. The fries are cooked in our kitchens, seasoned with salt, and served hot to you.”

It’s unclear whether they’re vegetarian-friendly, either. In the US, companies don’t need to disclose flavour additives’ ingredients lists if they’re FDA-approved, so it’s unclear whether the ‘natural beef flavouring’ actually contains any meat. The milk component is listed for allergen reasons.