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McDonald’s customers are letting the fast food chain know they are not “lovin’ it” when it comes to new straws that replaced the iconic striped variety.

The red, yellow, and white striped straws that the company even touted as special have reportedly been replaced with a more sustainable version that is not winning people over. A former corporate chef at McDonald’s even posted a video on TikTok critiquing the new straws and how they are affecting the taste of beverages at franchise locations.

“As many of you know, McDonald’s has switched out their iconic straw for something that is either a little more sustainable and/or cheaper,” Mike Haracz said in the video.

The new variety is “not cutting it,” he explained.

“Based on everybody’s reviews—and I have tried it as well—[the] straw’s not cutting it,” Haracz said.

@chefmikeharacz Former #McDonalds chef talks about their new straws. #mcdonaldshacks #mcdonaldsccsing #mcdonaldssecrets #mcdonaldschallenge #mcdonaldsdrivethru #mcdonaldsworker #fastfood #fastfoodlife #fastfoodreview #fastfoodworkers #fastfoodstories #foodtiktok #FYP #food #foodies #foodcritic #foodreview #foodreviews #foodreviewer ♬ original sound – Chef Mike Haracz

“So it is now a very clearly more flimsy straw that as soon as it bends, as soon as you have to drink like a shake, if the shake machine is working, and it’s too thick and it collapses, these straws start breaking. These straws start bending, they start cracking and becoming unusable,” he said.

Haracz went on to note that he is hearing complaints about the straw affecting the taste of soft drinks and other beverages.

“Well, when you try these beverages through this new straw, it is not the same,” Haracz said. “There’s a variety of reasons why you perceive beverages in a certain way—by the volume, by the diameter of the straw, the tactile feel of it. But because it’s changed, it’s not hitting just right.”

In a 2021 explanation on its website, McDonald’s noted there are “many reasons the Coca-Cola® tastes so great” at its restaurants. Besides the “pre-chilled” water and syrup, the company noted, “There’s also our straw—it’s slightly wider than a typical straw so all that Coke® taste can hit your taste buds.”

Another TikTok video posted in November had one McDonald’s customer fuming over the flimsy straws.

@randomvirgo20 Why yall change the straws.! #mcdonalds #fyp #fy #fypシ゚viral ♬ Oh No – Kreepa

On X, many users complained about the company’s inexplicable move to replace its special straws.

Frieda Powers
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