Abstract
The Big Mac®, McDonald’s® signature burger, is a global food served in over 100 countries. We measured carbon ( δ 13C) and nitrogen ( δ 15N) stable isotope ratios of Big Macs® from twenty-six countries. The δ 13C values varied from −25.4‰ to −11.1‰, representing cattle-rearing systems based exclusively on C 3 plants, exclusively on C 4 plants, or both C 3 and C 4 plants. Median δ 15N value was 6.6‰; the 25th and 75th percentile were 5.9‰ and 7.3‰, respectively. Calculated percentages of imported beef were consistent with the δ 13C values of purchased Big Macs®. Japanese patties had higher δ 13C values than expected based on that country’s C 3 agriculture, however Japan imports beef from Australia, where C 4 plants are prevalent. Lower latitude countries generally had higher δ 13C values than higher latitude countries, reflecting the larger distribution of C 4 plants in warm regions. Although Big Macs® are a global food, we conclude they also contain local components.
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