McDonald's Sausage Is Made Of Fewer Ingredients Than We Thought

three breakfast sausage patties served on plate

McDonald's is a convenient place to grab something if you're looking for a quick bite to eat in the morning. However, many menu options feature sausage, whether it be the Sausage McMuffin, Sausage Burrito, or Sausage McGriddle. If you end up ordering a sandwich or combo meal that includes a sausage patty, you may wonder what it's made of. The burgers may be made with 100 percent ground beef, but the Chicken McNuggets contain fillers and preservatives, so where does the sausage stand? As it turns out, the recipe is more straightforward than expected.

According to the McDonald's website, the sausage patty contains eight ingredients: Pork, water, salt, sugar, and a combination of seasonings that includes rosemary extract, as well as other undisclosed spices and "natural flavors." However, McDonald's sausage patties aren't entirely free of preservatives, as they also contain dextrose, which aids in browning, enhances flavor, and delays spoilage.

Did McDonald's Change Its Sausage Recipe?

wrapped sausage mcmuffin wth coffee cup

McDonald's has been serving breakfast sausage for many years. It was introduced in 1977 when the McDonald's breakfast menu first rolled out, and it eventually became a staple, being included in the McMuffins, McGriddles, and Hotcake meals. Even though many customers have come to love this breakfast offering through the years, the recipe hasn't always been the same.

In 2018, some customers on Reddit began to wonder if McDonald's had changed its sausage patties recipe, and it turned out to be true. McDonald's had actually announced the change two years prior, stating it would no longer use artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in certain menu items, including the sausage patties.

The nutrition page of  McDonald's website previously reflected a much different ingredients list for the sausage patties, which included corn syrup solids, whey protein concentrate, MSG, propyl gallate, and citric acid. Some of the same ingredients, like pork, dextrose, and salt, remain in today's sausage patties, but the recipe is simplified.

How McDonald's Sausage Compares To Other Brands And Restaurants

mcdonald's sausage mcmuffin with bites taken out of it

McDonald's new breakfast sausage isn't too different from what other fast food places serve. Wendy's and Dunkin's sausage patties contain a combination of pork, seasoning, water, and dextrose as a preservative. One of the standouts is Jack in the Box, which resembles McDonald's old recipe more because it has ingredients like corn syrup solids and BHA.

When it comes to the sausage brands you will buy at the grocery store, McDonald's isn't quite as comparable. The leading brands tend to use more filler ingredients, like in Jimmy Dean sausage patties, which contain soy protein concentrate. Similarly, Johnsonville sausage patties are made with oat fiber. According to Mike Haracz, who used to be a corporate chef for McDonald's, one store-bought product is the closest to McDonald's in terms of ingredients and taste, which is the Great Value Pork Breakfast Sausage Patties from Walmart.

Of all these products, McDonald's recipe is still the only one that uses rosemary extract. So, while there are many similar sausage patties out there, don't be surprised if the flavor doesn't taste exactly like what you'd get on a McDonald's breakfast sandwich.

Read the original article on Daily Meal