McDonald's fresh beef
McDonald’s will begin serving fresh beef in most of its U.S. restaurants by mid-2018.

OAK BROOK, ILL. — McDonald’s will begin serving fresh beef in all Quarter Pounder burgers in most of its U.S. restaurants by mid-2018, the company announced March 30. The switch to fresh from frozen beef is the latest in a series of menu changes the fast-food chain has introduced in recent months.

Steve Easterbrook, McDonald's
Steve Easterbrook, president and c.e.o. of McDonald’s

“Over the past two years, we’ve made a series of bold, tangible changes for our customers,” said Steve Easterbrook, president and chief executive officer of McDonald’s Corp. “Serving all-day breakfast, moving to cage-free eggs and testing delivery are all proof of our commitment to building a better McDonald’s. And we are committed to transforming more aspects of our business, including offering a more modern and enjoyable dining experience, adding new levels of convenience and technology, and making more positive changes to the food we serve.”

Last year, McDonald’s removed artificial preservatives from Chicken McNuggets and eliminated high-fructose corn syrup from hamburger buns. The company also has moved to sourcing chicken not treated with antibiotics important to human medicine.

“Today’s announcement is part of a continuing food journey for McDonald’s,” said Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald’s USA. “Over the last two years, we have accelerated the pace of change around how we source and serve our food. Delivering fresh beef that’s prepared when our customers order their food is just another example of how we are raising the bar. We’re just getting started, and can’t wait to show you what’s next.”

The company began testing the fresh beef initiative in 325 restaurants across the Dallas/Fort Worth area and 77 restaurants in Tulsa, Okla.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees, and we’re proud to have been part of a test that is creating a watershed moment for McDonald’s,” said Joe Jasper, McDonald’s Dallas/Fort Worth franchisee. “This test was driven by the franchisees, our region and insights from what our customers are asking for when they visit McDonald’s.”

McDonald's fresh beef burger
The company began testing the fresh beef initiative in 325 restaurants.

Lopez Foods, a beef supplier, was involved in the test.

“This represents a strong partnership between McDonald’s, Lopez Foods and their other beef suppliers to support this initiative and deliver McDonald’s quality standards,” said Ed Sanchez, president and c.e.o. of Lopez Foods. “It was exciting to be part of the test and we look forward to bringing fresh beef to more McDonald’s customers in 2018.”