McDonald's Is Testing a Burger Made With Fresh Beef

2017 was the year of the wellness trend: We saw turmeric, matcha, and charcoal everywhere, from lattes to ice cream. People wanted even the food that isn’t considered nutritious to at least seem healthy. And it looks like McDonald’s is paying attention to healthy eating trends too because the chain is testing out the Archburger, a new menu item made with fresh beef, at six of its locations across the United States.

McDonald’s announced back in March that it would be testing the fresh beef burger in 2018, according to USA Today, and it has indeed arrived in places like Texas and Oklahoma. More than a decade ago, the chain tried to introduce the so-called Arch Burger Deluxe, but it flopped and disappeared from the menu. But now that chains like Shake Shack offer “freshly ground” beef in their burgers, McDonald’s has even more incentive to bring the Archburger back.

At the moment, McDonald’s uses frozen beef patties in its burgers, but that doesn’t mean the chain isn’t trying out new ways to cater to a more health-conscious crowd: In October, McDonald’s began testing out a vegan burger in Finland (it’s now available in Sweden as well and has become a permanent menu item although there’s no word on when it might become available in the United States).

Fast food chains across the board are becoming more conscious of the health concerns of their customers: Others, like Burger King, KFC, and Popeyes, have pledged to end the use of antibiotics in their chickens, while the chicken producers Tyson and Perdue (which both sell products at chain grocery stores) have committed to creating cleaner, more hygienic living spaces for their poultry.

McDonald’s has yet to give the official word on whether or not the Archburger has been a success (after all, we’re only three days into 2018), but there’s no denying that from grocery stores to fast food, the people and companies that supply your food hear your call for healthier options, and are actually responding.