When it comes to liking In-N-Out, it doesn’t matter if you’re a West Coast native or not; the entire world agrees that it’s a fan favorite among fast food. Over the past decade, the California-based hamburger chain has slowly but surely been working on recipe changes to boost quality and use better ingredients. However, In-N-Out has recently confirmed real changes that have removed artificial ingredients and additives from their menu items. Some say this is a controversial move for such a classic place like In-N-Out, but the company’s executives believe the change will improve their quality and customer satisfaction overall.
Did In-N-Out change their recipes?
Due to the new administration, The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on certain ingredients. Their plan to fizzle out synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply has caused many companies to discuss switches to natural alternatives. This new standard for food quality mainly traces back to the evidence showing that consuming excessive amounts of these dyes leads to long term cancer, hyperactivity, and negative neurobehavioral effects on children.
What menu items will be different?
Toppings
Confirmed by the company after linking artificial colors to cancer risks, In-N-Out has removed Yellow 5 and Red 40 from both its pickles and chiles. These burger topping staples now contain more natural alternatives such as turmeric, beta carotene, and vegetable juice to keep the flavor and enhance the quality.
Signature Pink Lemonade
One of In-N-Out’s most beloved drink items, the Signature Lemonade, has also gone through a recipe remodel in terms of artificial dyes. The Yellow 5 and Red 40 swap seen in the toppings has also been done in the lemonade recipe, which has yet to create any negative feedback from consumers thus far.
Milkshakes
In-N-Out uses a custom shake mix for all their milkshake flavors, which they’ve now altered to omit high fructose corn syrup. As a healthier replacement, the shake mix now contains natural sugar. This swap can also be found in the syrup used in their strawberry milkshake and signature lemonade, and in addition to strawberry, In-N-Out has replaced artificial flavorings in their vanilla and chocolate shakes with natural alternatives.
Burgers
There have been many little changes to increase the quality of In-N-Out’s iconic burgers through updating their buns, oil, and sauces. The chain announced that they have removed preservatives like calcium propionate and cottonseed oil from their buns and adding natural enzymes instead. To come later are even more ingredient swaps, such as changing their oil to a higher-quality alternative for frying. Finally, In-N-Out has also explored changes to their sauces by replacing dyes and artificial sugar in the house spread and switching to a less artificial ketchup brand.