McDonald’s removes preservatives from most of its burgers (but not the pickles)

Following years of reformulating at McDonald’s, most of the burgers it serves in the U.S. are now preservative-free.

As of Wednesday, the world’s largest burger chain says classics like the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese are preservative-free, with reformulated buns and sauces. Pickles on the sandwiches still contain artificial preservatives, but customers can request sandwiches without pickles.

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McDonald’s has been gradually removing preservatives from its menu for several years in an effort to appeal to more health-conscious buyers. In 2016, it removed high-fructose corn syrup from its buns and took artificial preservatives out of its Chicken McNuggets.

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The Chicago-based company says around one-third of its sandwiches still have artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, including Egg McMuffins and Filet-O-Fish. It hasn’t set a timeline for removing those ingredients.