The Fry Lie: How McDonald's Fries Got Worse—Not Healthier

For years, McDonald’s fries ruled the world. They were golden, crispy, salty, and delicious. People called them the best fries ever made. But then something changed. Around the 1990s, fans noticed the fries didn’t taste the same anymore.

What happened?

Let’s dive into the real story of why McDonald’s fries lost their magic—and how the changes didn’t make them healthier. In fact, for a while, they actually made them worse.

Once Upon a Time… in Beef Tallow

Before 1990, McDonald’s cooked their fries in a special mix: 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef tallow. That’s a fancy way of saying animal fat. This gave the fries a rich, savory flavor you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Why did they use beef fat? Because Ray Kroc, the man who built the McDonald’s empire, wanted fries to taste like the original McDonald brothers’ version. He nailed it.

But not everyone loved the fat.

Meet Phil Sokolof: The Fry Crusader

Phil Sokolof wasn’t a doctor. He wasn’t a scientist. But he was a wealthy businessman from Nebraska who had a heart attack. After that, he became a full-time food activist. Think of him like an early version of today’s online influencers—lots of passion, not much science.

Sokolof spent millions on full-page newspaper ads. His messages sounded scary:

“The Poisoning of America”

“McDonald’s: Your Hamburger Has Too Much Fat”

It worked. The public panicked. McDonald’s gave in.

In 1990, the company switched from beef fat to 100% vegetable oil.

Oops… Now with Trans Fats

At first, this seemed like a healthy change. But here’s what they didn’t tell you: the new vegetable oil was partially hydrogenated, meaning it was full of trans fats—the most dangerous kind of fat for your heart.

Trans fats increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL). They raise your risk of heart disease way more than saturated fat.

In trying to remove one bad fat, McDonald’s accidentally replaced it with something even worse. FDA, 2015.

They finally banned trans fats in the U.S. in 2018—but for almost 20 years, those “healthier” fries actually hurt people’s hearts more than the original version ever did.

Flavor Fail: Enter the Beef “Natural Flavor”

Customers missed the old flavor. So what did McDonald’s do? They added “natural beef flavoring” to the vegetable oil. Yep, they removed the beef fat… and then added beef flavoring back in.

This confused people. Some vegetarians and Hindus believed the fries were plant-based. They weren’t, leading to lawsuits and even more public confusion.

In the United Kingdom, McDonald’s fries are really vegan. But in the United States, that natural beef flavor still makes them off-limits to some groups.

The Steak 'n Shake Beef Tallow Comeback

Now fast-forward to today. Steak 'n Shake announced they were bringing back beef tallow for their fries, just like McDonald’s used to. This move caught the attention of RFK Jr., a well-known figure in politics and food activism.

He praised the change. But here’s the problem: RFK Jr. isn’t a doctor. He’s not a nutritionist. In fact, he’s never taken a college-level science course.

RFK Jr has a long history of pushing food myths and anti-science messages, just like early activists who helped ruin McDonald’s fries in the first place.

Let’s be clear: Beef tallow is not healthy. It’s packed with saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which increase the risk of heart disease. AHA, 2021.

Taste nostalgic—but nostalgia won’t protect your arteries.

So What’s the Lesson?

The story of McDonald’s fries teaches us something important:

👉 Because something is “natural” or “old-fashioned” doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

👉 Just because someone is loud about food doesn’t mean they know science.

👉 And just because something tastes good doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Before you trust anyone’s food advice, check their credentials. Are they a doctor? A registered dietitian? Or just a loud person with a lot of opinions?

McDonald’s didn’t make their fries healthier in the ‘90s. They made them worse because they listened to fear instead of facts.

Sources / References

• FDA. Final Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils. 2015. FDA.gov
• Chu M, Noh E, Lee KG. Analysis of oxidation products and toxic compounds in edible and blended oil during the deep-frying of french fries. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2024 Jan 17;33(10):2275-2287. doi: 10.1007/s10068-023-01494-9. PMID: 39145121; PMCID: PMC11319563.
• Nestle, M. (2003). Food politics: how the food industry influences nutrition and health. University of California Press.

>> Dr. Terry Simpson: This episode is called the fries. Why McDonald's

fries don't taste the same anymore.

They were crispy, golden,

perfect, the gold standard of fries. But

Sometime in the 1990s, something changed.

McDonald's fries just didn't taste the same

anymore. So what happened? Was it the

potatoes? A, uh, secret ingredient?

Government overreach? A, uh, food activist with no

medical training. Today, we dig into

the story of America's most iconic fast

food and the battle between flavor,

fear, and facts.

Today, we'll talk about fries, the

legendary McDonald's fries, and what

made them go from crispy perfection to,

well, just. Okay.

I am your Chief Medical Explanationist, Dr. Terry Simpson,

and this is Fork U Fork University,

where we make sense of the madness, bust myths, and

teach you a little bit about food and medicine.

Back in the day, meaning pre1990,

McDonald's fries were cooked in a blend of

7% cottonseed oil and 93%

beef tallow. That's right, rendered

beef fat. The flavor was rich,

meaty, and unmistakably good.

Why beef tallow? Well, Ray Kroc

wanted his fries to taste like the ones at the

original McDonald's in San Bernardino, and they

did, for decades. Then

came Phil Sokoloff, a, uh,

Nebraska millionaire who survived a heart attack and made

it his mission to rid America of saturated

fat. But let's be clear. He

wasn't a doctor, he wasn't a scientist.

He was an early food activist, the kind

who would have thrived, um, on Instagram with a handle like

Artattackhero. Armed with millions

of dollars, he took out full page ads in the New York

Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal with

headlines like the poisoning of America or

McDonald's your hamburger has too much fat.

He scared the public, and, uh, McDonald's caved.

In 1990, McDonald's switched to

100% vegetable oil, claiming it was a

heart healthy change. But here's

the part they don't tell you.

That vegetable oil was partially

hydrogenated, which means it was loaded with something

we call trans fats, which are

considered worse for heart health than

saturated fats ever have been.

In trying to avoid saturated fat,

McDonald's served up fries with stuff

that actually clogs arteries and raises

LDL cholesterol far more than

saturated fat. It wasn't until

2018 that trans fats were finally taken out of

the United States food supply. So you don't have to worry

about them in today's fries or vegetable oils.

But for two decades, we were fed a, uh,

healthier fry that was actually worse for our hearts.

So much for progress. But let's point out

who were the people that were opposed to trans

fats. It was the doctors. We

had been warning people from the 1950s

on about how trans fats led to

more problems than saturated fat.

Doctors with careful research in peer review

publications have been warning America, but

America listened to a food activist.

After the 1990s. Customers complained about the new bland

taste and McDonald's added something called natural

beef flavoring back in their french fries.

So they removed beef fat, replaced it with

beef flavor and this led to

lawsuits from vegetarians and Hindus who

assumed that fries were plant based.

They weren't. Today, United States

McDonald's fries still aren't vegan, but they

are in the United Kingdom where they just use potatoes,

oils and salt Today. Let's

enter Steak n Shake who recently announced

they were bringing back beef tallow for their fries

and got a wave of free publicity from RFK Jr.

Who applauded the move. Now, RFK

Jr. Much like Phil Sokoloff,

is another Froude crusader with

exactly zero medical

training. In fact, he's never taken a

college level science course. But that doesn't stop

him from weighing in on vaccines, food dyes, or

apparently deep frying methods.

Here's the inconvenient

Beef tallow is not healthier

than vegetable oil. It is loaded with

saturated fat and while that may please your

palate and your nostalgia, it does no

favor for your arteries. This idea of

switching back to beef tallow being somehow

reclaiming a healthier past is fiction

wrapped in fat. Just because something

tastes like your childhood doesn't mean

it's good for your future. So

beware of the modern food babes, RFK

Juniors, Paul Saladino's and other people

who are trying to sell you something that isn't for your

health.

This podcast was written and researched by me, Dr. Terri

Simpson, and references can be found on my substack

channel@tsimpson.substack.com or

yourdoctorsquarters.com and while I am a

doctor, I am not your doctor. Before

you make any changes to your diet, please consult a real

Western trained physician and a registered dietitian, not

a chiropractor and not some Eastern trained

shaman. For Q is distributed by our friends at

Simpler media and the pod God himself, Mr.

Evotera, have a good week everyone.

Hey Evo, what's your favorite fry?

Before they ruined them or now that they're

re beefing them?

>> Speaker B: I never met a fried spud I didn't like.

Oh, and I saw what you did with the whole, uh,

inconvenient Truth thing there.

Nice.