How McDonalds French Fries Are Made🍟| Worlds Largest French Fries Making Factory

Summary

This video explores the detailed journey of McDonald's French fries, from freshly harvested potatoes to the crispy, golden fries served in restaurants worldwide. It highlights each step of production, including washing, steam peeling, cutting, sorting, blanching, drying, frying with added flavors, freezing, and packaging. The video also touches on the additives used to maintain color and texture, the precise quality control measures, and the impressive scale of operations, processing 250,000 tons of potatoes annually. By revealing the meticulous processes behind this iconic fast food product, viewers gain insight into why McDonald's fries are considered ultra-processed yet consistently beloved.

Takeaways

• 🥔 McDonald's french fries are considered an ultra-processed food product with ingredients designed to enhance taste and consumption.
• 🚜 The production starts with selecting fresh, ripe potatoes no more than 24 hours old.
• 💧 Potatoes are thoroughly washed to remove soil and stones before processing.
• 🔥 Steam peelers remove the potato skin efficiently, with a yield of up to 35 tons per hour.
• 🔍 Quality control involves employee inspection to discard potatoes that don’t meet standards.
• ✂️ Potatoes are cut to precise lengths, and fries below 3 cm are removed to maintain consistency.
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• 🌡️ Potatoes are softened, heated, and dried to create the characteristic structure of the fries.
• 🍬 Fries are treated with a natural sweetener for color and sodium acid pyrophosphate to maintain brightness during shipping.
• 🍳 Fries are fried in oil with added artificial beef flavor, creating a crispy, golden texture.
• ❄️ After frying, fries are cooled, frozen, and packaged with strict monitoring to ensure quality and portion consistency.
• 📦 Packages are inspected, sealed, and delivered to restaurants, where they are ready for final frying and serving.
• ⚙️ The McDonald's french fry factory produces enormous quantities annually, handling 250,000 tons of potatoes and creating thousands of portions daily.

Q & A

Why are McDonald's french fries considered ultra-processed?

McDonald's french fries are considered ultra-processed because they contain additives such as a hidden addictive ingredient that enhances consumption, artificial beef flavor, and other processing chemicals that alter the natural potato significantly.

What is the first step in the production of McDonald's french fries?

The first step is selecting ripe potatoes that are no more than 24 hours old. These potatoes are cream-colored and have an easily peelable skin.

How are soil and stones removed from the potatoes?

Soil and stones are separated in the washing line using water before the potatoes proceed to the next stage.

Describe the peeling process used in the factory.

Potatoes are peeled using a steam peeler, where steam at 21 bars pressure is applied for 11 seconds, removing the skin efficiently and allowing up to 35 tons per hour to be processed.

How does the factory ensure only quality potatoes are used for french fries?

After peeling, potatoes go through brushing and washing machines, followed by human inspection. Potatoes that do not meet quality standards are removed to facilitate proper cutting.

What steps are taken to prepare the fries for frying?

After cutting, fries are heated in hot water to create structure, dried in a special tunnel, treated with a natural sweetener for golden color, and treated with sodium acid pyrophosphate to preserve color during shipping.

How is the distinctive flavor of McDonald's fries achieved?

An artificial beef flavor is added to the vegetable oil during frying, giving the fries a meaty taste despite being made from potatoes.

What measures are taken to ensure the fries are not damaged during freezing?

Fries are pre-cooled to 85 degrees Celsius and quickly frozen in a tunnel. The process is carried out rapidly to prevent damage caused by water crystallization.

How does the factory ensure the packaging is accurate and safe?

Frozen fries are weighed into appropriate portions, sealed, and labeled. Packages are inspected using a metal detector, and lightweight packages are discarded to ensure consistency.

How many portions of fries can the factory produce in a year?

The factory produces approximately 40 portions of 100 grams each year from processing 250,000 tons of potatoes.

What is done with fries that have minor blemishes?

Fries with minor blemishes, especially on the tips, are not discarded. They are cut and sent for further inspection to ensure minimal waste.