McDonald’s has reduced the size of its Big Tasty

“Big Tasty” became “Little Tasty”? At McDonald’s, avid eaters often favor the 280 and the Big Tasty, two burgers known for being very filling and high in calories. But in recent days, internet users have been criticizing the fast food brand on X (formerly Twitter) for allegedly reducing the size of its “Big Tasty” sandwich without reducing its selling price. A practice that can be compared to “shrinkflation”, a process of reducing the volume of a product without changing the packaging or price.

“McDo has reduced the size of the burgers!!!! “, protests an Internet user. on. “This allows us to reduce the size of the sandwich without changing the price! And most importantly, without communication (So) is clear and noticeable,” the user decries, while the customer mentions the possibility of “stopping McDonald’s.”

An internal document of the restaurant chain, seen by Le Parisien, confirms the change to the Big Tasty format from August 29 in most of its restaurants (some of which sell 280 will only be affected in October). The bread is noticeably less generous… We are far from the famous mastok-burger, which usually satisfies the most gourmets. As proof, while the old Big Tasty contained 868 calories per serving, the new one officially only… 663. So the change is noticeable, but barely noticeable on the McDonald’s website, where we can read “New Format” without further details. The lack of communication to customers about these changes is causing some bitterness.

The group also seemed to anticipate the dissatisfaction of its customers: “If your teams and customers have questions, please emphasize that these new formats retain the iconic taste of Big Tasty, allowing us to satisfy all appetites with a version of Big Tasty. two meats even bigger and tastier, and version meat for more moderate appetites,” clarifies the internal document intended for employees, which we have reviewed.

The reduction in size of the traditional Big Tasty actually coincided with the launch of a new Big Tasty format offering “two meats”. A more expensive version and this time more filling (927 calories) than the old formula.

The evolution of the recipe is “not comparable to the old one,” says McDonald’s

In turn, the McDonald’s brand is embracing new formats and believes that comparing the old and new Big Tasty is no longer necessarily relevant: “We have not in any way reduced portions of our recipes on a permanent or temporary card for our customers. restaurants. We’ve updated the Big Tasty recipe with new bread and a choice of one or two meat options. The evolution of this recipe, incomparable to the old one, deeply changes the perception of the product, now higher and more customizable. The two-meat version is more generous than the previous recipe,” defends the group.

I’m not sure that this argument is enough to convince regulars of this burger, since its price in the one-meat version, less filling than the old formula, has not decreased everywhere. In some restaurants, its price has actually remained the same (often between 5.70 and 7 euros per burger depending on the restaurant), although much less. “Due to the meat alone, it is offered at an average price that is more affordable to consumers,” McDonald’s says. In an internal memo we reviewed, the brand suggests restaurants adjust their prices “for the sake of consistency while adjusting product generosity.”

A recommendation that is not yet followed everywhere. “Each operator is free to choose his own pricing policy, which depends on a set of factors, such as the type of restaurant (city center, suburb, size), service area, field of competition, or even the costs of the service providers he trusts. “We care about the proper functioning of our restaurant,” McDonald’s management recently told us to explain the differences in prices between different outlets.

Shrinkflation?

This reduction in the Big Tasty format occurs in the context of “shrinkflation,” a practice that involves masking rising food prices by reducing quantities in similar packaging with an identical selling price, and which is condemned by consumers and NGOs. and even some industrialists. This is legal as long as the weight of the food is changed, but it is still misleading to consumers.

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire also challenged industrialists followers of this practice, which he equates to “fraud.” “We will make it mandatory to display changes in weight or contents in similar packaging to avoid misleading consumers,” he wrote in late August.