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Burger King Fattens Up Fries

Fast food chain rolls out new spuds Monday

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 1, 2011 11:40 AM CST

(Newser) – The big fight among fast food chains is over who has the best fries—and in an effort to increase its standing, Burger King has changed its recipe for the first time since 1998. The new fries will be thicker (just a tad wider than a No. 2 pencil), have 20% less sodium, and will be crisper and stay hotter longer thanks to a new coating. Increasingly, Reuters notes, fast food restaurants are offering more "natural" fries.

Wendy's, for example, last year rolled out "natural cut" fries, which leave some skin on and include sea salt. In-N-Out cuts its fries from fresh potatoes every day; Five Guys uses peanut oil; and Smashburger uses sea salt on its regular fries and rosemary, olive oil, and garlic on its sweet potato fries. Of course, McDonald's plain-by-comparison fries consistently rank No. 1 in consumer surveys. BK's new fries are out in North American stores Monday. (Click to see how Burger King is outsmarting San Francisco's "Happy Meal ban.")

In this Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 photo, a Whopper sandwich, french fries and drink are shown at a Burger King restaurant in Allison Park, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Showing 3 of 27 comments

bananana

Dec 2, 2011 6:55 AM CST

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/_c0urtz_/2q1x94y.jpg I swear on my gerbil's grave that this is not gross. Relevant? Not exactly. But not gross.

dawnarun

Dec 2, 2011 1:29 AM CST

This article sort of reflects my train of thought every time I eat fries. I was a bit bummed when Wendy's changed their fry recipe a while back because I liked it when each food chain had a distinctively different tasting fry. A burger is generally a burger, but I'd pick and choose my unhealthy consumption based on what kind of fries I was in the mood for. Wendy's new fries are almost identical to McDonalds except the sea salt doesn't get stuck under my finger nails (I guess that's a plus.) And why is it that no fast food chain serves those thick, fresh cut fries that you get at some pubs? They're so tasty... I think I'm probably putting too much thought into one specific food.

Cat-Lover

Dec 1, 2011 7:47 PM CST

I like the part about BK using a special coating to keep their fries hot longer. Special coating? Plastic????

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Burger King Fattens Up Fries

Fast food chain rolls out new spuds Monday

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

fast food • fast food industry • french fries • French fries • Burger King

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By 2017, all eggs, pork will come from cage-free animals

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It's being tested now in Nashville

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Picture that the next time you're chowing down ... complete with snow

Wendy's Dethrones Burger King in Fast Food War

It's the first change in the fast food chain since 1969

Sonic Joins Burger King in Adding Beer to Menu

Because really 'having it your way' might mean a beer or two

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