McDonald’s will offer completely 3D printed burgers by 2020

Fast food giant McDonald’s has just announced the creation of a brand new 3D printed burger, its 3D Mic Mac. Restaurants should be equipped with 3D printers by the end of 2020 in order to offer this customisable hamburger. According to the company, 3D Mic Mac can be preserved for longer than traditional burgers, significantly reducing kitchen waste while maintaining the original Big Mac flavour. The 3D Mic Mac will be offered with meat or a tofu alternative to address the growing demand from vegetarians today.

A few years ago, McDonald’s announced that it would print its Happy Meal toys in 3D, giving children the opportunity to choose directly what they really like. The American chain wants to go further and use 3D technologies directly in the kitchen: by offering a customisable burger that is easy to prepare and above all more durable. In fact, the 3D printed burger should have a longer shelf life to avoid being thrown away too quickly, as is unfortunately the case in many restaurants. The chain is very aware of this problem and often criticised on this subject. 3D printing could allow it to rethink the supply chain.

3D Mic Mac, a long thought-out project

In an official press release, John Catfish, Global Technology Senior Auditor, said: “We have been studying 3D food printing in our restaurants for the last 3 years. We aim to equip our kitchens in the United States by the end of 2020 and offer a customisable burger. We had some difficulties with the printing of the meat, especially in the preservation of amino acids and myoglobins, but our teams are confident – we have succeeded in printing the rest of the ingredients, including tofu, in 3D.”