# Fresh Fast Food Hamburgers This Chain is Now Serving Fresh Beef Instead of Frozen Patties By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-05-16 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fresh-beef References: [refinery29](http://www.refinery29.com/2016/05/110944/mcdonalds-fresh-beef-menu) & [mcdonalds](http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/your_questions/our_food/are-your-burgers-fresh-or-frozen.html) Following the announcement that it is changing the recipe for its iconic Chicken McNuggets, [McDonald's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-4) is now swapping frozen hamburger patties for fresh beef. While McDonald's is known for its hamburgers, it has always used frozen beef patties instead of fresh ones. Now the chain is joining other fast food chains such as [Wendy's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hot-and-crispy-edition-fries) and [In-N-Out](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cookout-truck) by phasing out its flash-frozen burgers. The use of fresh beef is currently being tested in 14 different locations in Dallas, Texas. As of right now, the fresh patties are limited to burgers that contain Quarter Pounder-sized patties, which includes dishes such as the Bacon Clubhouse Burger and the Homestyle Burger. While it is unclear if McDonald's will roll out the new initiative on a larger scale, the change is indicative of the growing demand for fresher food. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 38% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Fresh Fast Food:** Changing from frozen to fresh beef patties in fast food chains like McDonald's signifies the trend towards offering fresher food options. - **Flash-frozen Burgers:** The phasing out of flash-frozen burgers by fast food chains presents an opportunity for the development of alternative methods of preserving the quality of hamburgers. - **Growing Demand for Fresh Food:** The shift towards using fresh ingredients in fast food reflects the increasing consumer preference for healthier and fresher food choices. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fast Food:** The transition from frozen to fresh beef patties highlights the need for innovation and process optimization in the fast food industry. - **Food Preservation:** The move away from flash-frozen burgers opens up opportunities for companies specializing in innovative food preservation techniques. - **Healthy and Fresh Food:** The demand for fresher food in the fast food industry indicates a potential market growth for companies offering healthy and fresh food options. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Jalapeño-Topped Beef Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcdonalds-4.md) - [Double Patty Chicken Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-chicken-big-mac.md) - [Hackable Fast Food Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hacked-menu-items.md) - [Crispy Onion Bacon Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bacon-n-crispy-onion-quarter-pounder.md) - [Ranch-Covered Chicken Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bacon-ranch-mccrispy.md) - [Customer-Suggested QSR Menu Items](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/menu-hacks.md) - [Delicious QSR Veggie Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcveggie.md) - [Celebratory QSR Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/two-new-burgers.md) - [Creamy Parmesan Sauce Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/creamy-parmesan-bacon-quarter-pounder.md)