McDonald's Employees Say This Is How Often Frying Oil Gets Changed - Tasting Table

"Data from McDonald's in London shows that its 165 restaurants dispose of 618,000 liters of oil per year. That works out to 3,745 liters, or about 989 gallons, per restaurant. USDA numbers show that about 50% of oil is absorbed into the food customers consume, while the other 50% is recycled. This means a McDonald's uses roughly 2,000 gallons per year. Those costs could get out of hand fast if oil is not kept as clean as possible and recycled responsibly."

"Employees filter the oil every single day, and it happens multiple times. According to a manager who posted on Quora, after cooking six batches in a fryer, the oil is skimmed with a tool to remove any large chunks. Then the fryer drains the oil through a strainer and a filtration pad to remove any additional debris, and the newly filtered oil returns to the fryer for continued use."

Cooking oil represents a significant expense for fast-food restaurants; 165 McDonald's in London dispose of 618,000 liters annually, about 3,745 liters per restaurant. USDA data indicate roughly half the oil is absorbed into food and half is recycled, yielding about 2,000 gallons used per restaurant per year. McDonald's staff filter fryer oil multiple times each day, skimming after several batches and passing oil through strainers and filtration pads before returning it to fryers. Full oil replacement occurs once degradation requires it, with frequency determined by store traffic, fryer capacity, and menu items such as Filet-O-Fish.

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