Unraveling the Mystery: What Brand of Sausage Does McDonald’s Use?

The savory juicy sausage patty sandwiched between fluffy English muffins has been a staple of the McDonald’s breakfast menu for decades. But despite its iconic status the exact brand and origin of the McDonald’s breakfast sausage patty remains somewhat of an enigma.

Unlike many fast food menu items where the supplier is publicly known, McDonald’s has not officially disclosed what company manufactures the sausage for their 30 billion breakfast sandwiches sold per year. This veil of secrecy has led to ample speculation and theories over the years about what brand McDonald’s uses for their famous sausage patties.

In this article, we’ll explore the mysterious world of the McDonald’s sausage patty and try to pinpoint what brand they likely source it from

The Elusive History of McDonald’s Breakfast Sausage

McDonald’s first introduced breakfast to their menu in the mid 1970s with simple offerings like English muffins, Danish pastries and, of course, the Egg McMuffin. The sausage patty made its debut shortly after in 1977. Immediately it became a customer favorite for its savory, smoky pork flavor.

In the decades since, McDonald’s has guarded the proprietary recipe for their sausage closely. They have never confirmed the brand they source it from, though there are some telling clues we can examine.

Clues Point to Major Meat Suppliers

McDonald’s uses multiple meat suppliers around the world for their beef, chicken, pork, and other ingredients. Two likely candidates for the McDonald’s sausage supply based on their working partnerships are:

Lopez Foods – A major meat production company based in Oklahoma that produces sausages, beef, pork and chicken products for restaurants.

Keystone Foods – A food supplier specializing in processed meat products including sausage, bacon, ham and turkey for retail and restaurants.

Both Lopez Foods and Keystone Foods have established relationships with McDonald’s as trusted suppliers. While not confirmed, it seems plausible either or both play a role in producing the proprietary sausage patties to McDonald’s specifications.

The Secret McDonald’s Sausage Formula

While the exact brand remains uncertain, we do know more about what goes into McDonald’s sausage thanks to an infamous legal battle in the 1990s.

After McDonald’s fired its longtime sausage supplier, the supplier retaliated by revealing the confidential sausage recipe. It contained salt, onion powder, ground mustard, natural pork flavoring and other proprietary blends McDonald’s refused to disclose.

The case confirmed McDonald’s breakfast sausage contains no artificial flavors, fillers or mystery meats – just classic pork sausage spice ingredients. This all-natural composition combined with rigorous quality controls likely contributes to the sausage’s enduring flavor.

Why the Secrecy?

Some may wonder why McDonald’s opts to keep its sausage supplier a secret when they openly discuss other product sources. There are a few plausible reasons:

• Maintain a competitive edge – Keeping proprietary recipes under wraps thwarts copying.

• Flexibility – Using multiple suppliers allows for adjustments as needed.

• Cost savings – Playing suppliers against each other can help lower costs.

• Quality control – Relying on limited, trusted suppliers helps ensure consistency.

While the secrecy seems unnecessary to some, for McDonald’s protecting its breakfast dominance likely outweighs any benefits of transparency.

Imitating the McDonald’s Sausage at Home

Without knowing the exact brand, fans have tried replicating the taste of McDonald’s sausage on their own for years. Some key tips include:

• Use a mix of pork shoulder and fatback for flavor and juiciness.

• Add spices like black pepper, sage, coriander seed, and nutmeg.

• Form very thin patties and cook on a griddle or flat top.

• Grill until well-browned on both sides.

• Consider adding MSG for an authentic McDonald’s flavor.

With a little trial and error, you can come surprisingly close to McDonald’s sausage with homemade patties using natural ingredients.

The People Still Crave McDonald’s Sausage

At the end of the day, despite the ambiguity around McDonald’s sausage suppliers, people continue lining up daily to order the classic Egg McMuffin, sausage burrito, or sausage biscuit. The unique, crave-able taste of the sausage patty keeps customers coming back.

Next time you bite into a warm, juicy McDonald’s sausage patty, you can appreciate it as a product of secret proprietary engineering designed to perfection. With 50 years under its belt, it seems unlikely the iconic McDonald’s sausage will be going anywhere anytime soon.