A former McDonald's corporate chef says customers who think their burgers look smaller aren't imagining it, according to The Takeout.
In a documentary interview for More Perfect Union, he described a system designed to keep food costs down — even if the end product feels skimpy.
Here's what to know
In the short documentary, former McDonald's manager of culinary innovation Mike Horacz says the chain will accept a subpar product if that helps protect profits.
"They are willing to serve not as good of a product because they can make more money and serve more people," Horacz remarked.
The documentary presents that approach as part of a broader business model linked to McDonald's franchise-heavy structure and the public company pressures that reward fast growth and shareholder returns.
For people already frustrated by shrinkflation — paying the same or more while quietly getting less — that explanation fits a familiar pattern.
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Horacz didn't pull punches about the profit motive.
"Make it as cheap as possible so they can get the most profit," he observed.
Reactions on Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating suggested many viewers saw the video less as a revelation than as confirmation.
"This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone," one commenter wrote.
"In other news, fork found in kitchen," another joked.
More background
More Perfect Union opens its documentary with a freshly cooked Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and the host immediately points out something that seems off: a small-looking patty and sparse toppings on one of the chain's most recognizable burgers.
Horacz said one cost-cutting method starts with the beef itself.
McDonald's relies on fattier ground beef because leaner meat costs more, he explained. The trade-off is that the patty shrinks more during cooking, meaning the burger can still taste good while ending up physically smaller.
He also described visual tactics that can make a smaller serving less obvious to customers.
Larger buns can take up more space around the patty, while lighter sauce application, thinner cheese slices, and fewer vegetables can further cut ingredient costs.
Horacz noted that the same strategy can apply to chicken tenders.
He stated that lower-cost poultry can be pumped up with a salty brine to make it appear larger, and the breading can be adjusted through double dredging or larger crumbs such as panko to make the tender look more substantial than the amount of meat inside.
What can be done?
Knowing what to watch for is the clearest consumer tool in More Perfect Union's documentary.
It gives viewers a concrete checklist for spotting shrinkflation in practice rather than dismissing a disappointing meal as a vague impression.
When it comes to burgers, Horacz's examples point to several red flags: a bun that overwhelms the meat, noticeably skimpy toppings, less sauce, and thinner cheese.
For chicken, he suggests that some of the perceived size may come from brine and breading rather than the meat portion itself.
With menu prices consuming more of many household budgets, recognizing when "value" comes mostly from presentation can help customers decide whether a familiar order is still worth the cost.
The other action is public scrutiny.
More Perfect Union's documentary, along with the Reddit discussion that followed, put specific names and methods to a practice many people already suspected, making it harder for portion cuts to remain hidden behind branding.
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