A former McDonald’s chef went viral on TikTok after he revealed how the Big Mac sauce cups are different than the Big Mac sauce available on the chain’s burgers.
In his now-viral video, Mike Haracz (@chefmikeharacz) explained the difference to viewers. As of Tuesday morning, his TikTok had amassed more than 34,500 views.
@chefmikeharacz #stitch with @badluckshawty Former #McDonalds chef explains why this #BigMacSauce is fake. #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldsdrivethru #mcdonaldslife #BigMac #bigmactiktok #bigmacrecipe #bigmacsaucerecipe #MacSauce #DoubleCheeseburger #mcdonaldsbigmac #FYP ♬ I Think I Like When It Rains – WILLIS
According to Haracz, the cups aren’t “legit Big Mac sauce.” He claimed that McDonald’s receives its Big Mac sauce in tubes, which are “refrigerated and brought into the restaurant.” However, he said that the chain needed to “reformulate” the sauce in order to make them “shelf-stable.”
“I don’t know if they added more preservatives, more acids … but they basically changed the Big Mac sauce recipe to work in these little cups,” Haracz said. If customers want the actual Big Mac sauce, he said, then they either need to “order a Big Mac,” or ask for a side of the sauce “that comes from the restaurant.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Haracz via Instagram and TikTok comment and to McDonald’s through its press form.
Many commenters, however, said that they’ve already noticed a difference between the two sauces.
“We’ve had them in Canada for a few months, and they are definitely different tasting,” wrote one viewer. “Fresh Mac sauce all the way.”
“It tasted really vinegar-y,” said another. “It’s still good, but definitely isn’t the same.”
“[The] packages do not taste like mac sauce. Not legit and they are gross,” a third viewer echoed.
On McDonald’s website, viewers can see the difference in ingredients between the Mac Sauce put on Big Mac burgers versus the one served in a cup. That led several other viewers to propose ideas for why the Big Mac sauce cups—unlike regular Mac Sauce—didn’t need to get refrigerated.
“They did add more preventives,” one user said. “Also noticed corn meal in it when I got it.”