"Although most people refer to it by the brand name Styrofoam, polystyrene was a spongy foam material that used to be pretty much everywhere. All McDonald's burgers came in polystyrene clamshell boxes. It was also incredibly bad for the environment as it's not biodegradable, takes 500 years to break down, and leaches dangerous chemicals that can seep into food if a Styrofoam container is microwaved."
"The chain began cutting back on trans fats in 2003. They also stopped deep-frying apple pies in 1992. In 1990, McDonald's switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in its fryers. All of these decisions made for a healthier product, but arguably one that didn't taste the same. That means when people think back to a time when polystyrene containers were in use, they're not wrong to remember the food tasting different."
On November 1, 1990, McDonald's phased out polystyrene clamshell containers and moved to paper packaging. Polystyrene, often called Styrofoam, was a spongy foam material that was widespread but not biodegradable, taking about 500 years to break down and leaching chemicals when microwaved. Some customers remain nostalgic and believe food tasted better in polystyrene. Changes in cooking and ingredients—such as cutting trans fats starting in 2003, stopping deep-frying apple pies in 1992, and switching fry oil from beef tallow to vegetable oil in 1990—altered flavor profiles. Polystyrene did preserve warmth and prevent leaking, so packaging may have influenced perceived freshness and taste.
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