What is in the McDonald's cheese?

luckykitty · Post by **luckykitty** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:13 pm

Does McDonald's in Finland import the cheese slices for their burgers, or is this some local cheese?
I'm not thatc concerned about the taste (hey its McD), I just feel bloated and tired after eating the Mcd burgers with the cheese in it. Does anyone know the ingredients to their cheese or if its the same as the one in America?

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Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:22 pm

http://www.mcdonalds.fi/ruokaopas/tuote ... &tu_id=002

Cheddar–juusto (valmistaja Dairy Produce Packers Ltd. Colerine, Pohjois-Irlanti)
Cheddar-juusto (55 %), vesi, voi, herajauhe, maitoproteiini, luontainen juustoaromi, sulatesuolat (E331, E450, E452), ruokasuola (0,8 %), säilöntäaine (E200), värit (E160a, E160c). Rasvapitoisuus 28 %.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:41 pm

One of the ideas of McD's original concept was "repeatability of offering", meaning that if you found yourself in an unfamiliar country/town, you could walk into a McD and know what you were getting. It took the guesswork out of trying out new places. Whilst some components are manufacturered in different countries, they are generally made to exactly the same recipe AFAIK. So it's the same cheese all over Europe.

catfish78 · Post by **catfish78** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:04 pm

Karhunkoski wrote:One of the ideas of McD's original concept was "repeatability of offering", meaning that if you found yourself in an unfamiliar country/town, you could walk into a McD and know what you were getting. It took the guesswork out of trying out new places. Whilst some components are manufacturered in different countries, they are generally made to exactly the same recipe AFAIK. So it's the same cheese all over Europe.

Not sure about all that. I know that no matter where you are everything should be the same. But if you are comparing McD's from the states to here, the only thing that is the same is the name. The offerings are totally different, the taste is not even close. Maybe in the states they don't clean the grill presses as much. The burgers here are dry and have no flavor. I have the same problem with the soda here too (like Diet...err Pepsi Max). That's why I stick to Hess Burger and drink Jaffa. I don't know any different tastes for those.

Sorry, in a bad mood today.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:38 pm

As an ex-supplier, I sat through much of their blurb about repeateability of offering. Perhaps it was only related to the European offering, I don't know.

As a side-note, not only are all the recipes meant to be the same, but also they put a lot of effort into equipping all outlets with the same cooking equipment, e.g. cooking times and temps and other settings in combination ovens (combination of conventional and microwave) are meant to be the same in all units to ensure that the product comes out the same each and every time (reducing overcooking wastage and reducing food safety risks, where relatively unskilled people can still manage to cook things properly without having to think too much).

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:47 pm

Karhunkoski wrote:Perhaps it was only related to the European offering, I don't know.

I'd presume that http://www.mcdonaldsindia.net/ might have something like McCurry - maybe there are other regional variants too (McHákarl in Iceland, anyone?) But BigMacs etc might ,at least in principle, be "similar" all over the world. Dunno - I hardly ever go to McD and definitely not when abroad...

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:55 pm

I think there are A LOT of differences between McDs throughout Europe, which is why they have been so successful even in countries like France (one of their biggest turnovers outside the USA). Can you get a salad in a McD in the UK? Certainly never used to be possible. France has plenty of "local" burgers using French cheese etc. But yes, the basic Big Mac and Happy Meal etc are the same everywhere.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:00 pm

penelope wrote:Can you get a salad in a McD in the UK? Certainly never used to be possible.

You've been away too long Penelope. They started doing salads in the UK some years ago.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:05 pm

penelope wrote:Can you get a salad in a McD in the UK?

Go to the UK McD website and click on the “Eat smart” button in that (stupid, hard-to-navigate, impossible-to-link-directly-to) flash presentation. The first item on the left-hand menu is “Salads Plus”...

penelope wrote:Certainly never used to be possible.

I think McD, like any company, will revise their “global strategy” from time to time... introducing new products and product lines on their menu, worldwide. So if salads are the “in” thing to do at the moment, they’ll jump on the bandwagon in any country where that would sell...

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:08 pm

sammy wrote: I hardly ever go to McD and definitely not when abroad...

Oh, I *definitely* go to McD abroad and try whatever is a "local variant". And then I indulge at BurgerKing.... they're different in the USA between the states as well. However subtle there are differences... And what wouldn't I give for a "Miami Subs"

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:15 pm

Could I take the opportunity to clarify what I'm saying by "repeatability of offering"...

I'm not saying that every McD in the world has the same menu, of course there are many regional differences, "repeatability of offering" means that if they offer product x in Paris, if product x is also part of the menu in Berlin, it will very likely be the same thing you get.

Mattlill2000 · Post by **Mattlill2000** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:20 pm

The Big Mac in Finland tastes just the same as it does in Canada.....Terrible. Canada has some pretty good chain food burgers like Harvey's and Licks. The best burger I've had in Finland is from Sports Academy by the train station. If it isn't Char broiled (?), it doesn't rate, IMO

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:35 pm

I really need to go check out the "Southern Fried Chicken" in Forum after it moved to Mannerheimintie (is is still there?) As I was quite fond of them while they were next to the kebab place under the escalators...

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:04 pm

Hank W. wrote: Oh, I *definitely* go to McD abroad and try whatever is a "local variant". And then I indulge at BurgerKing.... they're different in the USA between the states as well. However subtle there are differences... And what wouldn't I give for a "Miami Subs"

I do the same, its fun to try the local McD's specials. I was once in Malaysia and had some sweet and sour burger. They have sweet and sour sauce for the fries as well. That sounds weird but its good too!

And Burger King... If only they had that here! The whopper and their chicken sandwiches are so good. Why don't they have it here? I'm sure it would sell. Is it true that there is some law about the flame broiling? I heard thats why they aren't here but haven't really seen any facts to back it up.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:51 pm

Hank W. wrote:
sammy wrote: I hardly ever go to McD and definitely not when abroad...
Oh, I *definitely* go to McD abroad and try whatever is a "local variant". And then I indulge at BurgerKing.... they're different in the USA between the states as well. However subtle there are differences... And what wouldn't I give for a "Miami Subs" ;)

Many have been bitten by that “it’s cool to hate McD” snobbery bug. Fortunately, I’m not one of those people, and for me it’s just a burger chain. :) If I’m craving for a burger in Finland, it’s usually a 50–50 chance that I’ll end up either in a McD or in a Hesburger. I don’t like either of them too much, though... I’m forever mad at Hesburger for buying out Carrol’s and ruining the whole thing.

Some 10 years ago, I was on a tourist trip in Beijing... our little group ate at various Chinese restaurants for all week long and we were probably being served fancier local dishes than the Emperor himself could have gotten back in the day. One day, with the end of the trip nearing, me and my friend were exploring the City by foot. We saw a McD, and decided to drop in, just because we had been eating Chinese food all week and, well... we were tired of walking, a bit hungry and thirsty, the McD was there, and it seemed convenient at the moment.

Soon after we had gotten what we ordered and sat down, these two local girls approached us. They spoke English and introduced themselves as university students.

So what was it that they wanted to know? “Why are you, the two uncivilized big-nosed foreigners, eating American hamburgers in the capital of China? Is local food not good enough for you?”

(OK, perhaps that wasn’t the exact phrasing they used... but it certainly was the idea.)

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